Basdeo Panday

Unbalanced, superficial reporting

Mr. Mark Thompson
Chief Executive
Channel 4
124 Horseferry Road
London
SWIP2TX

Re `Unreported World: Bitter Harvest’
I WRITE in connection with the above named programme which was broadcast in the UK on Channel 4 on Saturday 24th April, 2004 at 18:00 hours.

From the outset I wish to underscore that Guyana, the country which was the intended subject of your programme, is a democratic society and welcomes scrutiny from reputable media organisations like yours. However, such openness, I believe should not be an avenue for unbalanced and superficial reporting.

I am therefore compelled to point out programme omissions and reporting biases which in my opinion characterise the programme at caption.

Racial Tension
First of all, your programme which sought to highlight an apparent endemic racial disharmony in Guyana, glaringly focused on the villages of Buxton and Annandale and made passing references to one or two villages on the East Coast of Demerara.

The most cursory of enquires would have revealed that Guyana is a country of 214,000 square kilometres and marked by hundreds of villages along its entire coastline from Charity to Springlands.

With this fact established no one with even an iota of skills in scientific inquiry could use data gathered in two villages from a less than representative sample of the combined population to conclude on what is supposed to be a national phenomenon. Unfortunately, your reporter used such limited data to conclusively report that Guyana is gripped by widespread racial violence and turmoil.

It is true that the village of Annandale as reported has been a target of violence. It is not true to infer, however, that every resident of the neighbouring Buxton ever did, or intended to commit acts of violence on the residents of Annandale for racial or other reasons.

The fact is, empirical evidence exists in Guyana and is in the domain of all the stakeholders, which clearly places the guilt on known and unknown bandits for the mayhem that has pervaded those two and other villages on the East Coast of Demerara.

While it is common knowledge in Guyana that much of the siege on the citizens of Annandale especially followed the escape of five prisoners who along with other bandits sought refuge in Buxton, your reporter remained oblivious of this simple fact throughout her data collection exercise. Thus, in her report she falsely and irresponsibly attempted to convey the impression that there exists widespread racial violence in Guyana.

DEATH SQUAD
Another focus of your report was the Death Squad or Phantom Squad which is credited with carrying out several extra-judicial executions, ostensibly with tacit or other official sanction and approval.

What your programme failed to even mention is the Government of Guyana’s unequivocal commitment to an inquiry into these allegations by the constitutional body which is empowered to receive and act on incriminating evidence. According to the Laws of Guyana, there is nothing contrary in acquiring a formal statement to proceed with a criminal investigation.

Perhaps it is apposite to point out that to date no such statement has been forthcoming for an inquiry into the Death Squad allegation.

THE SUGAR INDUSTRY
Your reporter noted that the World Bank has recommended the closure of certain sugar estates and that such action would precipitate critical unemployment.

Again, no mention was made to the Government’s decision to refrain from such action which would ultimately bring about unemployment and affect the livelihoods of thousands.

Not only did your reporter not highlight the Government’s decision to avoid the social and economic consequences of large scale unemployment in the Sugar Industry, but also she failed to notice, or seek information on the more than US$100M outlay on a new sugar factory at Skeldon, an investment which would propel the total yearly sugar production to nearly 500,000 tons.

Hardly could it be deemed responsible investigating reporting when views are solicited and pronouncements made about an industry so critical to the very economic survival of Guyana and the views of responsible and competent stakeholders are not sought.

This omission is another blatant failing of your report.

ALLOCATION OF CONTRACTS
As was the case with the reporting on the future of the sugar industry in Guyana, your reporter did not elicit the views of the competent authorities nor other knowledge groups and organisations on the awarding of contracts in Guyana.

As such she obviously was unable to discover that there exists in accordance with the Laws of Guyana, a Central Tender Board which oversees the official tender process. At present, the Public Accounts committee is considering names for the Procurement Commission that would oversee all aspects of Government Procurement.

TRANSSHIPMENT POINT FOR ILLICIT DRUGS
In dealing with the notion of Guyana being used as a transshipment point for narcotic drugs, your reporter abysmally failed again to even mention the national efforts to confront and deal with this transcontinental malady that has infiltrated the borders of Guyana.

Had she sought, she would have found that the efforts of the Government of Guyana, notwithstanding the concomitant strain on the country’s security forces, have been sustained and are in consonance with regional and international agendas to fight drug trafficking.

The attendant problems of small arms trafficking and related crime are also fully recognised and are being assiduously addressed by the Government of Guyana.

The fact is, while Guyana has experienced a spate of crime in the past two years or so, especially with the return of criminal deportees, the situation in the country in no way reflects anarchy or an apathetic Government.

Another simple but significant fact that escaped your reporter’s attention is that over the last few years nearly 800 deportees, many from North America and elsewhere and many of whom were incarcerated for severe criminal offences, arrived in Guyana. That figure is equal to almost 10% of the entire Guyana Police Force.

The authorities and other concerned organisations have long identified the return of deportees as providing the impetus for an increase in both the severity and volume of crime in Guyana, including drug related offences.

THE GUYANA POLICE FORCE
Perhaps through a combination of conjecture and biased information gathering your reporter referred to the existence of a perception of the Guyana Police Force historically staffed with a majority of Guyanese of African origin as a tool of a predominantly Indian Government.

If the Commissioner of Police was asked he would have I am sure referred to his taking the Oath of Office earlier this year when he unequivocally declared his commitment to upholding the Constitution of Guyana and the responsibilities that the Constitution places on his office.

The Commissioner’s statement is a clear and timely indication that he and his team must be and are committed to upholding the rule of law in Guyana.

Instead, your reporter never bothered to elicit a comment from the concerned and relevant authorities on her theory of the perception of Guyana Police Force as a tool of the Government.

POOR COUNTRY
It was by accident or omission that your reporter introduced Guyana as “one of the poorest counties in the Western Hemisphere”. That description as is evident by the programme, could only have withstood question by being supported by a plot of disaster, racial strife, crime and lawlessness – all major themes of your programmes.

Perhaps it never occurred to your reporter that even where there is only prevalence of racial strife, disaster, crime and lawlessness – and this is not the case in Guyana – there must be something positive to notice and mention. Any lack of such natural balance, especially in investigative journalism, might be construed as biased reporting and cannot be deemed credible.

It is therefore no surprise that the reporter avoided the fact that Guyana has recently been deemed as a middle income country by the Multilateral Financial Institutions and no longer qualifies for the kinds of aid and development assistance that the international community affords the world’s poorest nations.

Neither was it important to your reporter to mention that the Government of Guyana spends nearly 25% of its national budget on social sector programmes to improve the quality of life of the Guyanese people. This commitment is an outstanding achievement for a developing country.

PRO INDIAN GOVERNMENT
Guyana is a multi-racial and culturally diverse nation.

Its racial diversity is a direct function of the colonisers’ need to provide labour for the plantation economy and what is now known in Guyana.

As such, successive Governments of Guyana have been comprised of Guyanese from across the racial divide. The composition of the Government cannot be described as pro-Indian.

Government is not only about the Cabinet and in Guyana at present the composition of the national institutions and the overall governmental structure are truly representative of the Guyanese society.

As was alluded to earlier, the economic and social programmes undertaken in Guyana are for the benefit for all Guyanese.

Finally, I wish to reiterate that the Government and people of Guyana are familiar with what is considered to be democratic practices.

As such, there will never be any resentment of media organisations that seek to examine Guyana.

However, we as a developing country are wary of any attempt to present our country in a manner that is not particularly accurate. Guyana is a nation with development goals and priorities and is continuously seeking to have foreign direct investment.

Our eco-tourism industry is also emerging and expanding into an alternative destination for tourists for all around the world. These are just a few of the very good reasons why we must be cautious of all efforts to convey a less than accurate picture of our country, especially when evidence to the contrary can be provided as has been done above.

To provide that evidence, is the purpose of this letter. I trust that your Channel could give the same prominence to this new information.
LALESHWAR KN SINGH, CCH
HIGH COMMISSIONER