From: "Hari Ram" <machetti>
To: Singh.Ram, Janetp2us

Maybe Mr Adams understands that his definition (laws) of human rights is applicable for all the Guyanese who were victimized in the past before and after Independence.

Human rights violation all the years back is a concern for all of us.  The Indians of Guyana should know more than anyone else what it feels like or means to be victims of human rights abuse and injustice.  These criminals in question were they organized to target productive and peaceful Guyanese?  Were they just individual gang members or were they used by racist organizations to smear Guyana's image and distract foreign investors?

From: Singh.Ram
To: ,,,, 
CC: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 
Subject: RE: [Guyanese] Dead Squads Challenge the principles of Human Rights. 
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 09:54:19 -0500 

Strangely enough, the screaming today is heard far and wide and it picks up support as a rolling snow ball but in the years gone by when the young Indian females were being raped and ravaged, when the Indian households were being plundered, when the Indians were being slaughtered for raising their voices of concern, the world was silent. The Indians for survival, were forced to travel through dangerous territories and paid huge sums of money and maybe some were forced to make payments in another manner and in the end they were treated as criminals for running away from the terrorism, the heinous crimes being committed against them. Forced to apply for refugee status they were made out to be liars as the Guyana administration (including its embassies )at the time convinced the world that they were saints in human form who did not feast on the innocent. 

Where were the many who today have found their voices? 

 

 

 
From: "Steve De Carmo" 
To: "janet persaud" , "YEON ADAMS" , "guyana people" <Guyanese@yahoogroups.com>, "stabroeknews editor" <STABROEKNEWS@STABROEKNEWS.COM>
CC:
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 11:14:21 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: [Guyanese] Dead Squads Challenge the principles of Human Rights.

Janet. Very good questions indeed, and I think everyone should be asking the same questions as well.

Although I agree with our learned friend Yeon Adams, I am as lost as you are to know where were Amnesty International and the Human Rights when for years escaped and other criminals were killing, torturing and raping innocent people in Buxton and several other places as well?

Head lines of these hideous crimes were published internationally, yet these organizations who are supposed to be watch dogs for human rights violations wherever and whenever they exist, have never intervened when the aforesaid crimes were being committed, but saw it fitting to come forward only after the police had killed five of the murderers.  Amnesty International claimed they have reasons be believe that the men were shot while they were unarmed and trying to escape which violates the human rights acts. Thus, totally showing no regards for the rights of the innocent people who were murdered, tortured and raped. Were these acts not a violation against those people?

In simple logics, according to Amnesty International and the Human Rights, the police should not have killed the murderers because they were unarmed and on the run.  So should the police have allowed them to escape so they can regroup and continue their killings?

Mr. Adams suggested that the accused Government Officer should take his leave in order for an independent investigation to be carried out, but is this democratic? The accused should be present to give an account of his involvement, if he was involved as nothing has been proved against him, yet he is being chastised.

It appears that Amnesty International and the Human Rights are politically motivated organizations.

Steve DeCarmo

 

 
From: "janet persaud" 
To: "YEON ADAMS", "guyana people" <Guyanese@yahoogroups.com>, "stabroeknews editor" 
CC:
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 11:10:20 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: [Guyanese] Dead Squads Challenge the principles of Human Rights.


Very well said Yeon Adams, B.Sc, I agree with you 100% but I would like to find out where were you when all those innocent civilians were being murdered? Were you asleep? Or were you looking on and cheering? 

Right now what we need in Guyana is a Burnham type of system. No more Democracy, just plain Dictatorship (but still call it Democracy).

 

From: <energizer>
To: Guyanese@yahoogroups.com
Cc: 
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 
Subject: Dead Squads Challenge the principles of Human Rights.


Adams, what u should know first, u don't know.

No ONE had the guts to complain about HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION during BURNHAM AND HOYTE reign of terror in Guyana, but today, u have a hell of a lot BALLS to write about ---- The Prevention of Crimes (Amendment) Act 2002 contained a provision with risks facilitating arbitrary 
arrest, indefinite arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and torture as well as creating a "shadow" system of justice in Guyana which was devoid of the essential safeguards needed to prevent abuses, many were upset by the candid report and believed it was a smear campaign. 

1) The extra judicial killings of primarily young African men, but also members of the WPA, started long before this government came to power in 1992 and was part of the process of the breakdown and politicization of the traditional police force. This government inherited a death squad

STABROEKNEWS

2) Researched conducted in Guyana found that in 1992, was the year of most extra judicial killings . PPP/C came to power at the ending of 1992.

3) Security forces prefer to send them young AFRO Guyanese criminals to
cemetery instead of the court.

Energizer.....

 
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 
Subject: Re: [Guyanese] Dead Squads Challenge the principles of Human Rights.

 

YEON ADAMS  wrote: 

The term "Dead Squads provokes a visceral reaction. It is something gruesome and terrible. The use of these squads pose a significant challenge to the principles of human rights of which Guyana is a bound by international law to promote. Most obvious is that death squads, by definition violates human rights where ever and whenever they exist. These are clandestine, irregular organizations that carry out extra-judicial executions and other violent acts against clearly defined individuals-who in this case was some criminals and their innocent associates. 
When Amnesty International stated that The Prevention of Crimes (Amendment) Act 2002 contained a provision with risks facilitating arbitrary arrest, indefinite arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and torture as well as creating a "shadow" system of justice in Guyana which was devoid of the essential safeguards needed to prevent abuses, many were upset by the candid report and believed it was a smear campaign. Now, some 12 months later, we are being made aware of events that represents the embodiment of Amnesty's International analysis of the situation in Guyana. In retrospect, how insightful was the report. 
The shadow system of justice was manifested itself when public confidence in the primary law enforcement agency was lost, and the Army was requested to assist the Police execute its mandate. This give raise to groups that seek to act with impunity. The two officers and a civilian arrested by the military with a weapon cache and a cellophane locating computer can be classified as part of a larger group that acted with impunity. The primary activity of these groups are murder, and they operate with covert support, complicity or acquiescence of government or at least some parts of it. 
The Human Rights community in Guyana should be concerned about extra-judicial executions because they represents multiple human rights violations. First, there are the murders committed by this group with impunity, second, their activities were conducted outside the scope of the law, which makes it criminal. Third, these squads are usually not brought to justice. These extra-judicial killings violates The Laws of Armed Conflict.
The Laws as codified in the Four Conventions of the Geneva Convention of 1949 explicitly prohibits executions with out a fair trial. Common Article 3, which applies in internal conflict, forbids violence to life and person in particular murder of all kinds, mutilations, cruel treatment and torture of person. It also forbids the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized societies. 
The Organization of American States, of which Guyana is a member, declared in 1994 that the systemic practice of forced disappearances or executions without the observance of due process is a Crime Against Humanity, a standard adopted by the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court, which Guyana has signed, but not ratified. 
The Guyana Human Rights Association ought to vocalize their concerns thus sensitizing the international community to these atrocities which violates the rights of the Guyanese People and International Laws that carry universal jurisdictions enforceability. An independent investigation is the right way to proceed, but only if the government sends the implicated official on leave so justice can be obtained, or appeared to be achieved. 

Thank you
Yeon Adams., B.Sc. International Criminal Justice