Indentureship Indian Heritage Month May 05

MINISTER HIRES HIT MEN TO KILL BLACKS by Bert Wilkinson Special to AmNews When the militant African Cultural Development Association (ACDA), local media and opposition parties accused Guyana's Hindu-led government of hiring hit men to execute dozens of mostly young Black Guyanese, the administration dismissed these claims as ludicrous. Officials blamed everything from rival drug gangs fighting for turf, to Guyana-born felons deported back home from the US and Canada, for taking the level of violence to new heights. Now the entire episode had blown up in the face of the Bharat Jagdeo administration after self-confessed informer for the group of government hit men fingered East Indian Interior Minister Ronald Gajraj for heading the team that summarily executed dozens of mostly Black Guyanese, many of them innocent." George Bacchus has publicly admitted to working as an informer for the group that reported to Gajraj, but said that the men wanted to kill him because he had recently stopped collaborating with them after the killings became wanton and senseless. Stung by Bacchus' allegations and confronted with telephone records showing the gunmen had called at least one top government official, both at his home and at the Interior Ministry several times each day, Gajraj dismissed the charges, saying he was using various methods to battle violent crime. "Anybody can go out there and say whatever they want to say. It must bear scrutiny, it must bear analysis," a clearly nervous Gajraj told reporters. Local Police Chief Floyd Mc Donald had long distanced himself from being behind the killings, first noticed in late 2002, when 11 Black men were killed in one week. Police took the blame for only two. Luncheon said then that a phantom force was at work. All the major opposition parties, ACDA and other groups have called for the resignation of the minister, describing the state of affairs as reprehensible. GUYANA GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE: Journalists stringing articles for a newspaper declared to be "The New Black View" ought not to be under the illusion that they have to metamorphose themselves to becoming pedlars of racially biased and incendiary views. Unfortunately this is what occurred in the case of Mr Bert Wilkinson in his article submitted to your newspaper entitled, "Minister Hires Hit Men to Kill Blacks," and published in your January 15-21, 2004 edition. Wilkinson piece must go down as one of the most obnoxious and racially nauseating pieces of reporting on Guyana in recent times. It is most distressing as Wilkinson is also the Guyana stringer for the Associated Press. This, I must point out, is not the first occasion that I have had to respond to a story filed by Wilkinson. The very title of the article is slanderous against the local Minister of Home Affairs. This headline along with the contents of the article is inflammable and can only ignite racial hostility and antagonism both at home and abroad. Guyana is a secular state and thus the reference in the article to a Hindu-led government can only spring from ignorance or an attempt to stir up religious hatred. An objective report on the subject of your article should have revealed that there was unsubstantiated allegations by the self-confessed informant for an alleged killing squad. Reports made by the self-confessed informant are conflicting and despite several requests he has failed and refused to make any statement to the relevant agency, in particular the Guyana Police Force that can be the basis for an investigation. The Government of Guyana is not averse to an investigation being conducted, but there are certain established procedures that must be adhered to. It must be observed that the 2002/3 unprecedented crime wave affected all Guyanese. The bandits and other criminal agents targeted Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese, and other groups in our society, particularly the business sector. The government has consistently condemned crime and sought to enlist the support of civil society and all political groups to fight against crime. THE GUYANA GOVERNMENT EARLIER RESPONSE TO THE ALLEGATIONS: The principles of the rule of law and due process seemed not to have had an impact on Mr Corbin and the PNC. Under the PNC regime of which Mr Corbin was a key player, you are condemned and sentenced as charged by the Party. The PNC dictatorship was the most oppressive in the region. Their violation of human rights is unparalleled in the English speaking Caribbean. Walter Rodney, Fr Bernard Darke, Jagan Ramessar, Bholanauth Parmanand, and Ohene Khame, in the struggle for democracy, were all found guilty and sentenced to their death by the same PNC regime. There was no due process. Today, there is no longer persecution and punishment because of one's political belief. All the Human Rights Conventions and Protocols have been adhered to. Since 1992 consecutive US State Department Human Rights Reports have hailed the end of political persecutions and killings that characterized the erstwhile PNC regime. The people of Guyana at three consecutive elections-1992, 1997, and 2001, have told the PNC/R that their ideology of fear and violence are not relevant. This ideology, premised on destruction and hate, has no place in our multi-ethnic society. Mr Corbin would act so hastily and politically immature to assume the positions of "judge, jury, and executioner" on the current matter. Mr Corbin would do well to recall when as government Minister a much more serious charge was brought against him in relation to an alleged incident on September 27, 1986 in his Office. Then in 1989 another devastating charge was made against the PNC/R Leader again when he was a Deputy Prime Minister in the PNC regime which led to the infamous Report of the Commission of Inquiry in the acquisition, purchase, and performance of the power barge. These references are not intended to attack the PNCR Leader's controversial past. They are merely reminders of the importance of due process when allegations are made against anyone including public officials. The Police and certain opposition news officials have ignored the fact that the Police are conducting a vigorous investigation into the allegations. A number of persons have been detained and questioned. POLICE COMMISSIONER'S RESPONSE: Recently, there appeared in the press, ceratin allegations purportedly made by one, George Bacchus of Princess Street, Lodge, Georgetown. The Police view the allegations seriously and have made several futile attempts to contact George Bacchus. On more than five occasions ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department contacted the residence of George Bacchus at Princess Street, Lodge, for the purpose of getting a statement from him, so as to conduct a proper, professional and transparent investigation, but he was never available. Efforts are still being made to contact him. I have written to Bacchus's attorney-at-law requesting his assistance in making his client available to the police for a statement to be taken and an investigation conducted into the matter. I am being informed by His Excellency, the President, that the Leader of the PNC/R, Mr Robert Corbin, wrote to him suggesting that he has information/intelligence in relation to the alleged operation of several "Death Squads" and the complicity of senior functionaries. I have since written to Mr Robert Corbin requesting that he makes available to me whatever information/ intelligence that may be in his possession in order to facilitate a thorough professional and transparent investigation. I have assured Mr Corbin that whatever information/intelligence he might make available to me will be dealt with in a strictly professional manner. I am waiting a response from Mr Robert Corbin as well as from George Bacchus's attorney-at-law. The Guyana Police Force is committed to conducting a thorough investigation into these allegations. Released on January 22, 2004.