Dear Editor,
I attended the opening ceremony of the recent Seventh Biennial Delegates Congress of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) held in Bridgetown, Barbados.
As the Guyanese Honorary Consul, I was proud to see a Guyanese, Mr Lincoln Lewis, the President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), listed on the programme to bring greetings on behalf of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) of which he is the present General Secretary.
My pride soon turned to dismay and embarrassment when Mr Lewis tried to tarnish the good image of his birthplace, including attempting to undermine the investment climate and cast aspersions on the generally law abiding, hard working Guyanese workers in Barbados.
Mr Lewis spoke of “violation of human rights,” “forced migration” and Guyanese “suffering” at the hands of the government there. He spoke of the crime situation.
Guyana was the only country he mentioned.
Mr Lewis was rather selective with his (mis) information. No government expects 100 per cent support.
That is why there are opposition parties in Guyana, as elsewhere in Caricom. We in Guyana are moving towards better understanding and unity as good and accountable governance deepens, the economy continues to improve and standards of living continue to increase. There are now free and fair elections and opposition parties have unprecedented say in parliamentary oversight and other committees. Extensive Guyanese laws are there to ensure fundamental rights including the right to freedom of speech and organisation for Guyanese working people of all races and religions. Guyanese civil servants, represented by the GPSU, have received unparalled wage increases over the last 15 years .
Mr Lewis spoke of crime. He referred to people not being safe “from those adorned in uniforms paid by the state.” Instead of the head of this Guyanese trade union praising the security forces in Guyana for the good work in ferreting out the common criminals who have done so much damage to Guyanese society and its economy in recent years, Mr. Lewis appears to be undermining their work.
Instead of sympathising with the families of those ordinary, innocent Guyanese working women and men mowed down in recent slaughters in Lusignan and Bartica as well as other victims of all races and religions, he appears to be praising criminals.
Guyanese, investors, tourists, and the Barbadian public he was addressing, deserve assurances of security − not the ill-advised warping of information which infers that the criminals are somehow some sort of angels and heroes.The disciplined forces in Guyana, as in Barbados, have a job to do and the message has to be sent that they must heed appropriate directives from law enforcement officers who are mandated to preserve the gains and achievements of working people, farmers and patriotic business community which the Guyana government represents.
I listened thoroughly to what Mr Lewis said. I waited in vain for some commendable references about the good and documented said gains and achievements taking place in Guyana and benefiting all Guyanese working people in recent years. There was none.
He spoke of migration. Mr Lewis referred to Guyanese criminals coming to Barbados. Has he no shame?
Intead of praising (as the Honorary Consulate does) the good, hard working Guyanese men and women who have done so much to help build up Barbados, help reduce its import food bill, and take care of many of its elderly and clean their homes, he tells Barbados about Guyanese criminals in the island. As with his charges about “suffering” and “human rights violations” in Guyana. Mr Lewis provides no evidence or statistics about Guyanese “criminals” in Barbados, or at least a ratio situation out of proportion to their numbers.
One of the reasons I attended the opening ceremony was to witness the service award given to retired General Secretary of the Barbados Public Service Union, comrade Joseph Goddard, an outstanding Barbadian trade unionist and my long time personal friend. Mr Goddard, along with Barbados’ Minister of Labour Hon. Arnie Walters, Gen Secretary of host organisation Barbados Workers Union, Sir Roy Trotman, and other knowledgeble trade unionists and invitees, was undoubtedly embarrassed on Thursday night by Mr Lewis’s crude and unwise outburst and insensitivity.
As we move toward more regional understanding and cooperation including movements of working peoples among Caricom countries, this type of divisive approach is also at odds with the CCL’s mandate. I doubt too Mr Lewis’s remarks would be appreciated by decent, democratic minded Guyanese in Lewis’s union itself, some of whom may have relatives working in Barbados.
Mr Lewis needs to be more constructive and factual when speaking abroad about his country which I am sure deep down he loves.
Yours faithfully,
Norman Faria
(Guyana’s Honorary
Consul in Barbados)
When the Forbes Burnham policies started messing up Guyana and Guyanese began running overseas complaining, the Burhan government would retaliate by charging Guyanese were unpatriotic and of tearing down the country’s image. Even the late Cheddi Jagan was accused of being unpatriotic for criticizing the Burnham government.
But there is a difference between GOVERNMENT and COUNTRY! Many Americans criticize the Bush government policies, but this does not make them unpatriotic or guilty of tearing down their country’s image. Guyanese criticizing the PPP government are not being unpatriotic or tearing down Guyana’s image; they’re simply telling their stories to whoever would listen.
Norman Faria, (does he hold dual citizenship for Guyana and Barbados?), constantly vaunts his ‘honorary consul’ status to pathetically suck up to the PPP while refusing to return to live in Guyana. Anyone can be an honorary counsul for a government. Guyanese insurance magnate Hans Barrow was a one time an honorary consul for the Japanese government in Guyana.
Faria needs to take his head out of the clouds and get hip to the reality that the PPP is a mirror of the PNC in many ways, so when Guyanese criticize the government, they are exercising their constitutional right to disagree with their government without being unpatriotic. Stop trying to prop up dictatorial behaviors, Mr. Faria!
Norman Faria is a stooge of the PPP Govt. He should go and live in Guyana.
You sound like sour grapes Balwant
Mr. Faria was it your intentions for Mr.Lewis to lieto such an important forum.
You spoke of the increases public servants receive if they the public servants did not protest for 56 days in sun rain and dew they would have receive 2% .It was not the good nature of the government it was the tribunal that offer then that increase .for which they were bound to by law .
Mr. Lewis must represent the facts and situation as it is and maybe u dont feel it since evrything is provided for u but u must go to guyana and speak to the single parent who works as an hospital cleaner and tell her they are positive and contructive things happening in guyana .
Run Lewis Run..dem cant ketch ya………
Since when was Lewis President of the Public Service Union (PSU)? Mr. Faria, you are misinformed. He is doing the RIGHT thing. The only person embarrassed there was you, Mr. Faria, and rightly so. The atrocities of this cabal must be told!
Mr. Lincoln Lewis keep up the fight. Spread the truth far and wide about what is happening in Guyana. Do not be intimidated by Mr. Norman Faria. If you remain silent those who are living in Guyana will perish.
He should, but there’s no law saying he should. Free speech.
Mr. Faria i guess you have your head stuck in the mud, i have a cousin who just came back from guyana and she told me how thing very expensive,and i only because she had the money she could afford it , so what happens to the person who don’t have? The police do a good job when it benefit them or otherwise you suffer.
What is all the fuss about.?Guyana was destroyed for 28 years.It will take 28 years to rebuild it to what it should be.
david are u serious
will it take 28 years for the price of gas to drop as well? when the price on the world market had risen to 147.00 per barrel, our gas price rose in response. now it’s below 90.00, and our price hasn’t change from the 980.00 that Guyoil was selling since then.
Heaven help us
more like 56 years to regain its glory…….
Funny Davis is not helping to rebuild.
ITS 16YEARS NOW AND NOTHING HAS BEING DONE, BUT WHAT HAS DEVELOPED IS HIGH FOOD PRICES , RAMPHANT CRIME, AND CORRUPTION, TELL ME WHEN WILL THEY START TO REPAIR THE COUNTRY, MY FRIEND.
My brother spoke on our behalf and so he should. Continue, my brother. Everyone should know