Alarmed by what it said was an increase in incidents of torture by the Disciplined Services during 2007-08, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) passed a resolution at its AGM on Saturday condemning this practice.
The resolution passed said it was also aggrieved that both the civil and military authorities have failed to acknowledge and condemn incidents of torture
In the last two years, credible reports have surfaced in the media from soldiers and others that they had been tortured by members of the joint services. A report by the army into allegations by two soldiers went as far as saying that “excessive” force was used but denied torture. In a lengthy debate in Parliament, the main government spokesman on the issue labelled the soldiers’ complaint as a case of “roughing up” but not torture.
In its resolution, the GHRA called for:
1. the complete prohibition of abusive techniques of interrogation by all
Disciplined Services.
2. Criminalization of the use of abusive interrogation techniques.
3. Prohibition of the use of information gathered by techniques which fall foul of
international minimum standards for torture and treatment of prisoners.
4. Rehabilitation and compensation by the State of victims of torture.
5. Calls for the Disciplined Services to resist pressures from civilian authority to adopt practices which contravene professional and legal standards of interrogation.
Several other resolutions were approved during the GHRA’s 20th Annual General Meeting.
The resolutions called on both government and civil society to renew their commitment to complete constitutional reform and pledged the GHRA to further action to confront sexual violence. Another resolution called on the Association to remove its accounts from Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited “following the failure of the Bank’s management to recognize its error in wrongfully accusing and dismissing six workers” over a theft allegation, a statement from the GHRA said.
During the biennial meeting, the Assembly elected two new members to its executive Board namely university lecturer, youth and environmental activist, Michelle Kalamandeen and Dharmadai Ramjit, a women’s activist from Essequibo. Indigenous activists Sharon Atkinson and human rights activists Mike McCormack were returned as the two co-presidents of the Association while attorney-at-law, Vidushi Persaud, University lecturer, McArthur Thomas, Nurse Fiona Johnny, trade unionists Kenneth Joseph and Norris Witter, retired bauxite worker, Rinaldo Lancaster; disabilities activist and journalist Julie Lewis and community worker Melinda Herod were also re-elected to the board.
GHRA Executive Secre-tary Persaud presented a detailed report to members on the organization activities during the past two years while the Financial Report for the period was presented by treasurer Thomas.
“The meeting also took the opportunity of formally recording its condolences over the recent death of David de Caires, Editor-in-Chief of Stabroek News, as a lifelong proponent of freedom of expression, noting in particular his contribution to keeping the Catholic Standard in existence during the late 70’s and 1980’s”, the statement said.
