We write on behalf of Human Rights Watch to thank you for your response to our letter of February 27, 2008, expressing our concern regarding a violent homophobic attack on a group of men in Mandeville in January 2008 and the disappearance of one of the victims of the attack.

Letter from the Prime Minister of Jamaica regarding the violent attack on a group of men at a house in Mandeville in 2007.

We write on behalf of Human Rights Watch to express our concern that Jamaican police have again failed to protect individuals from homophobic violence and to investigate recent abuses against men suspected of being gay by members of the Jamaican community. We urge you to direct the police forces to duly investigate these cases of abuse and violence and to bring to justice those found responsible. We also urge you to ensure a full investigation of the whereabouts of a victim who remains missing after the most recent attack.

As you know, Human Rights Watch has documented an atmosphere of homophobic intolerance and violence in Jamaica, and a pattern of indifference or reluctance to investigate such violence on the part of the police. While we are encouraged by the increasing willingness of authorities to work with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, we urge you to ensure that a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation is taking place into the murders of Candice Williams and Phoebe Myrie.

Jamaican human rights defenders who criticized the government for abusive treatment of gay men and people living with HIV/AIDS have been threatened with sedition charges; and government officials have denied that any such abuses take place. Human Rights Watch urges Jamaican officials to act immediately to protect activists' democratic freedoms, and to investigate allegations of abuse based on sexual orientation and HIV status.