Indians Under Siege in
Guyana
By
Vishnu Bisram
BEATEN:
Harold Narine was hit on the head with a
beer bottle during the robbery attack
Since free and fair elections three
weeks ago which the incumbent party won
but the outcome of which has not been accepted by the opposition party ,
Guyana has been on the edge waiting to explode with racial violence. The
supporters of the PNC, taking a cue from their leaders, made it clear
right
before and after the elections that they do not want "an Indian party
(PPP)"
to govern them and this has set the stage for the problems that have
followed.
The PNC leader, Desmond Hoyte, threatened "slow fire"
before the elections
and this week urged his supporters to pursue "more fire" and low
and behold
his action plan was executed this week with blocks around Georgetown going
up in flames. The thugs are engaging in acts of extremism threatening the
lives of innocent citizens. It is one of the most naked threats to peace
in Guyana by a party that was decisively rejected at the polls. As
expected, virtually all of the victims are Indians.
The capital, Georgetown, and neighboring Indian villages are under siege.
Indians are being attacked solely based on their race. And the government
seems helpless and unable to control the hooliganism; it also appears
unwilling to do anything to help the hapless victims, almost all of whom
voted for the PPP.
What is happening in Guyana approaches the ethnic cleansing that consumed
the former Yugoslavia and Black leaders are not doing much to end it.
People are being attacked simply because of their race. Indians are robbed
and beaten at will and their homes and or businesses firebombed. They are
denied the right to live in peace.
Unfortunately, responsible (African)
leaders are mum about this racially-inspired violence. No decent-minded
person, regardless of race or nationality, can sit by idly and not
register his or her disapproval against the wanton violence unleashed on
defenseless people of Indian descent. Those who remain silent are as
guilty as the racist attackers and purveyors of
hate. When good people remain silent, the whole society become corrupt.
Violence against Indians, arson of Indian-owned properties and
intimidation
of Indians have threatened the very foundations of Guyana's fledgling
democracy. Hoyte has refused to condemn the violence. In fact, he
encouraged the violence when he egged his supporters to move from
"slow fire" which resulted in only a few Indian-owned businesses
being torched to "more fire" that resulted in whole blocks of
the city being burned.
Dozens of Indian-owned businesses were set ablaze by PNC supporters while
African-owned businesses were spared. The attackers made no
differentiation
between Indians who are pro-PNC or pro-PPP. Once you are Indian, you were
subject to physical attack or arson of your property. Even businesses
owned
by Indians who are allied with the PNC were attacked. For example, the
business owned by Sookhraj, a PNC financier and father-in-law of Jerome
Khan, Chairman of the Reform wing of the PNC, was gutted. However, a
bulletin on an opposition-affiliated television called on Indians who
support the PNC to report to local PNC offices so they would not be
attacked by the goons. The bulletin reportedly said that "if you are
not African or a supporter of the PNC/R you are fair game".
For days, along the East Coast road at Buxton, a Black village, fires were
set early in the morning before sunrise on the roads. In the rush hour,
several Indian motorists were stopped and money was demanded for
"safe
passage" out of the village; people are routinely being fleeced of
their
hard-earned money. And in nearby villages, Indian homes were torched with
firebombs. Small roving bands ran through the markets in the city and
sections of Regent Street robbing Indians at will and forcing the closure
of
stalls. A gas station at La Union (near Crane turn) on West Coast Demerara
owned and managed by Indians was firebombed and burnt down. And there are
many more similar incidents.
The attackers of Indians say they are carrying out a revolution presumably
to rid the nation of PPP rule and replace it with PNC rule. But the WPA
which won one seat to parliament, says violence against Indians is not
revolution. "This is backward", says the WPA which is calling
for a
Commission of Enquiry into the recent acts of criminality (against
Indians).
In a press release, the WPA calls on the PNC to say whether "they
approve or
do not approve of this unlawful, provocative and violent action". The
WPA
says it condemns all violence against any person who did not attack others
physically".
The WPA also appealed for a stop to this behavior which "puts fear
into the
minds of people innocently passing through African villages by day or
night".
The party says "such actions are not revolution. They are backward.
The chief
persons affected are Indians". The WPA also warns the perpetrators:
"If your
own race is in a majority in one place, always remember that it can be a
minority in another village or another place. By acting violently against
strangers or people who have a right to pass along public roads in your
own
village you are endangering people you do not know and cannot help".
The terrorism against Indians must end and those Indians who are victims
should immediately proceed with lawsuits seeking damages for mental
torture
and destruction of property against the responsible parties. Readers
should
be reminded that under a new American anti-terrorism law, cases can be
brought against the government of Guyana and leaders of political parties
or
the parties themselves that are responsible for encouraging their
supporters
to engage in violence against American citizens or residents;
Guyanese-Americans can file lawsuits in N.Y courts.
The PNC leaders are acting irresponsibly by egging their supporters to
attack
Indians. The leaders must be censured by all Caribbean parties and
condemned by all governments around the globe. In addition, every country
should proceed to cancel the visas of party leaders who are responsible
for the violence and the U.S and Canada should deny immigrant visas to
those who engaged in terrorist attacks against Indians.
