The Farquharson Institute of Public Affairs has called on the Government to conduct a coroner's inquest along the lines of priority given to the Bob Woolmer case into the controversial shootings in Tivoli Gardens last Sunday.

"The Farquharson Institute publicly calls on the Government to appoint a special investigator to immediately begin examination of the circumstances in which five persons were slain in Tivoli Gardens by members of the security forces.

"Available evidence suggests that the police and soldiers have seriously violated laws governing the conduct of their duties; and the people of Jamaica cannot rest until justice is done and urgent remedial action taken," the statement continued.

The institute lamented what it sees as the frequent occurrences of incidents such as the one in Tivoli which have conflicting views. The statement also read, "The Government must do whatever is necessary to stop this kind of slaughter by agents of the state."

In the joint police-military operation in the west Kingston community, five men were shot and killed after police reports said they engaged the forces in a shoot-out. However, after the incidents, residents protested against the police's version, saying that the men were killed in cold blood.