Dear Editor,
I am prompted to reply to public statements made by Mr Norman Faria, Guyana Honorary Consul to Barbados condemning several positions I have taken on contemporary issues and more so those pertaining to Guyana. I wish to reiterate my position that I stand on the side of justice and fair play regardless of who heads the government. I stood against what I perceived to be the unjust actions of all former governments, and I shall continue to stand against any form of injustice at this time when it is clear that those who are given the privilege to lead consider the country their personal property and the citizens their subjects.
As Honorary Consul to Barbados it is Mr Faria’s responsibility to, among other diplomatic tasks, represent the rights and dignity of Guyanese citizens in Barbados.
This is however not without noting my serious concern about his willingness to export and advance the partisan politics of the PPP government, whose disregard for human rights is being exposed daily.
I am concerned that while he seeks to tell us about the transgressions in respect of Guyanese rights in Barbados, at the same time he remains silent on rights violations by the Government of Guyana in relation to some Guyanese. This is a double standard.
I am sure as Honorary Consul he is aware the Government of Guyana continues to refuse to disburse to the Critchlow Labour College monies budgeted and approved by Parliament, and moreso seeks to deny the college any future allocations. The funding that I am referring to belongs to the taxpayers and was given to the college from its inception in 1968. This college provides training and education for taxpayers, some of whom are prepared to upgrade their skills and desire a second chance to complete a high school education. The fact that this denial affects a student population which is predominantly African, feeds the Social Sciences programmes at the University of Guyana, raises questions about the partisan nature of the government’s decision. Additionally, the government has also refused to disburse to the Guyana Trades Union Congress a grant approved by Parliament, and has since established a parallel trade union federation which validates its human rights abuses. This grant was in place since independence and was never denied even though there were instances when the trade unions and former governments were at logger-heads.
The Consul is also aware of the many state agencies that employed a dominant African labour force, which over the years were either closed, or significantly downsized and no efforts made to create employment opportunities for those affected or protect their pension plans, despite the fact that proposals have been offered by the trade union community and other interest groups. Juxtapose this with the government’s continued investments in the Indian dominated economic sectors, such as in sugar and rice, among others, and the impact of our concerns becomes even more disconcerting.
Repeated attacks on Dr Kean Gibson, UWI Lecturer, to the extent of writing the General Manager, Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, Television, was nothing short of attempting to deny her the right to freedom of speech in sharing her understanding of the racial and political oppression in Guyana. Similar attempts have also been made to silence or demonise others in and out of Barbados who have spoken out against the transgressions inflicted on Guyanese at home. This assumed role is inconsistent with the mandate of Honourary Consul since no government should be involved in attacking its citizens’ rights regardless of where they are located.
Within recent years law and order in Guyana have been under siege. There have been many murders where the guilty parties and the reasons for such actions remain a mystery. Many have fallen victim to murder, drive-by shootings, profiling, single executions, violence and robberies, but justice is yet to be served. Persons deemed to be criminals have been murdered by the police and army and no inquest held consistent with the law. Hundreds have died at the hands of the death/phantom squad(s) supported by rogue elements in the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defence Force, and without being discountenanced by officialdom. Had a civilized approach been taken the appropriate investigations would have been conducted; those identified would have been charged; evidence presented in court; found guilty; and the victims’ families would have received justice, having been clear in their minds who was responsible for the death of their loved ones. The society too would have been better served from these experiences.
Guyana is in crisis. As a Guyanese I share the concerns of those desirous of seeing the country return to normalcy, where our laws are respected and everyone, regardless of race, sex, creed or political persuasion, can have equal access to the country’s resources. Every citizen who believes in a just society has a responsibility to uphold the constitution and laws. It should however be noted the government and its representatives have a greater responsibility and as such Mr Faria’s voice is needed to speak out against the lawlessness, injustices and inequity committed daily.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
General Secretary (on leave)
Guyana Trades Union Congress
Like Sarah Palin of Alaska, Mr. Faria has a way of talking that leaves people unclear what he said but certain about what he meant. His many pronouncements what of a “paradise” Guyana is like includes a bare-faced embellishment of the accomplishments of the PPP government.
But the downside to projecting our instincts into his delusions, especially for us expatriates, regardless of our politics, is that we recognize Mr. Faria as a sycophant well versed in the art of obsequiousness – even leading the way into the potentially hostile terrain of tribal politics.
Mr Lincoln Lewis should do some serious introspection as to whether human rights abuses of citizens/prisoners is really the most pressing problems which the Guyanese have.
Satish is Mr. Lewis wrong in his assesment?
….lehme answer ur interrogative ! nah ‘e en wrang ! he have a right to ask all ‘e want ,, in “his” assessment ! an nat nobadi else’s which is why he is being laffed at !…..
He has to prioritise better, colin.
Satish please edify me. What can be more important than human rights? What is more pressing in Guyana than human rights and show how these pressing problems do not hinge on human rights.
I will try explain, Tammy.
Mr Lincoln Lewis of the Guyana Trades Union Congress can hardly be talking about human rights abuses against the rice farmers because they ARE NOT UNIONISED.
The only major unionised workers I know in Guyana are the SUGAR WORKERS and they ARE NOT COMPLAINING about human rights issues at all, but want HIGHER PAY…
CNS Channel 6 Television
http://www.cns6.tv/
Wales Sugar Worker’s Strike
Ow Budday PPP middle name is double standard what wrang wid all you?
If Guyanese are in the process of deportation from Barbados – seems to me that Mr Norman Faria’s position would soon be obsolete. Guyana has some of these Honorary Consul personnel (or whatever they choose to call themselves) stationed abroad wasting tax payers money and living the good life. Having said that why would Faria bite the PPP hands feeding him – that would be quite foolish. The lines separating wrong from right are now blurred or erased and people’s thinking have become skewed along party lines. Through their rose colored lenses, they can only see the CUP or PALM tree. Nothing will change any time soon!!!!
Where is Reddy on this?
I know the Consul well but Mr.Lewis doesn’t appear to understand protocol. Mr Faria is a Consul representing the interests of the Guyana government . No Consul nor Ambassador will speak, nor should he/she be inclined to do so, against his/her government and its programmes.
Mr. Lewis can write all the “open letters” he wants but is seen by most resoanable and sensible Guyanese as repeating the stale mantra of those who wish to hamstring progress and development for opportunist partisan purposes.
For someone trying for example to defend the indefencible of praising Dr.Kean Gibson, what else can we expect from Mr. Lewis ? I understand the Consul also wrote the Principal of the Barabdos campus of the University of the West Indies and the island’s Central Bank Governor expressing regret that they sponsored one of Dr.Gibson’s so called talks at the Central bank building in Barbados for an invited group of school children. It will be remembered that her unscholarly work had to carry inserted disclaimers before being put on shelves in Guyana’s libraries and bookstores.
Oh well, I , and I know my good friend the Consul, am still enjoying the good life in Barbados knowing that Guyana is in very capable and caring hands making life there even better annually for all the Guyanese people.
Yaaaawn, time for a lil after dinner wine, a good read and then to bed….yaaaawn……..
I hear seh this Faria guy spends a lot of time on the beach over there in Barbados talking about how Guyana is in good hands. Somebody ought to go over there and straighten him out.
In one missive Mr. Lincoln Lewis has summarized all the ills plaguing Guyana. Guyana truly is in crisis. Thank goodness for someone like Lincoln Lewis who calls it like it is and can stand up for justice and human rights in Guyana. He is obviously a man of great faith and courage and knows that someday his efforts will bear fruit.
Meanwhile Faria, and all the others like him are going down with the sinking PPP ship.
SKY, YOUR NAME REPRESENTS ADEQUATELY, WHERE YOUR EYES ARE FOCUSED,, hence you could not see the progress in guyana thhat most of us see, whose eyes are focussed on the road to reality,…
Double standards, eh? Reminds me of ole Mr Li-A-Chee two yardsticks. He had the standard accurate and precise 36-inch one that he does keep under he counter and show the Standards Inspecor when he come around. Then he had the one with 36 markings on it looking like 26 inches but it was actually 35 inches long and that he used to measure and sell goods with. He dead but he spirit still living.
Did you buy a crimplene pants length from him by Fogartys in the seventies?Yuh gunmouth pants musta had dem bannus askin yuh.”Noah give yu de message fuh deh flood?”
Reddy should be jumping all over this. Maybe he lef early for de beach.
Well said Mr. Lewis. Reddy in Barbados, where are you? Why aren’t you responding to what Lewis is saying? Come on, bloggers want to hear from you on this blog. We can’t take the deafening silence any longer.
Talk Lewis talk. I remember you from the days in the sugar belt with Comrade Cheddie and Komal Chand. Now Cde. Cheddie gone Komal don’t care. He had we fooled for long Lewis. You must be feeling the heartaches but do not give up. Guyana is now a new plantation and there is a new Bakra man. It so sad all the years of struggles gone for nothing.