Kingston — Britain has rejected a claim by Jamaican Rastafarians for slavery reparations, saying it cannot be held accountable for wrongs in past centuries.

Members of the Rastafarian Brethen of Jamaica made the request to the Queen during her visit to Jamaica in February, 2002.

The group argues that Jamaica is entitled to reparations such as debt relief in exchange for years of slavery, which they say has left the former British colony destitute.

In letter sent to the group's legal adviser on Jan. 2, the British High Commission called slavery "barbaric" and "uncivilized" but ruled out compensation for descendants of slaves.

"We regret and condemn the inequities of the historic slave trade, but these shameful activities belong to the past," the high commission wrote, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Associated Press. "Governments today cannot take responsibility for what happened over 150 years ago."

Instead, Britain will explore ways to "commemorate" victims of slavery, the high commission said. It did not elaborate.

Ras Howie Wright, a spokesman for the Rastafarian Brethen of Jamaica, denounced the decision Wednesday and said his group would continue seeking reparations through various world bodies like the Organization for African Unity.

"The Queen is wrong," he said. "A crime against humanity doesn't have any specific time. No matter how long ago you did it, you still have to pay."

Advocates of slavery reparations estimate the damages owed to descendants of African slaves in the trillions of U.S. dollars.

Howard Hamilton, Jamaica's public defender and the Rastafarians' legal adviser, said the group would settle for the cancellation of Jamaica's foreign debt to Britain, estimated at more than $109-million (U.S.).

He said the British government owed descendants of Jamaican slaves the same treatment afforded to past slave owners in Jamaica, who received a total of $10.5-million in compensation after slavery was abolished on the island in 1834. Today, the same amount would be worth $184-million (U.S.).

A group in the South American country of Guyana — the Kingdom of Descendants of Africans in Guyana — received a similar response from Britain, activist Violet Jean-Baptiste said.

Mr. Hamilton said he would try to link the Rastafarians' effort with similar claims being considered in the United States.

Rastafarianism emerged in Jamaica and spread throughout the Caribbean in the 1930s out of the anger felt by descendants of slaves toward the oppression of blacks. It is based on a philosophy of moving back toward African roots.