Dear Editor,
Is the Guyana government truly committed to its constitutionally entrenched responsibility to ensure the safety and security of its citizens? The recent decision by the British government to pull the plug on its £3 million for the security reform project is a massive blow to the local security sector and a major setback for citizens.
According to the government spokesperson Dr. Luncheon, “the British want to be chief cook and battle washer”, the government also tells Guyanese that the British proposal infringes on Guyana’s sovereignty. The UK rebutted the Guyana government, and stated that their decision to abandon the project is because the Guyana government would have, drastically, changed the original project. Specific mention was made regarding the scope of the project. According to the British, the Guyana government changed the original project to reflect modernization of the police force, only, as opposed to a holistic reform of the entire security sector as was agreed to earlier by the Guyana government and the U.K.
It is very difficult for Guyanese to accept and understand why the PPP/C government would try to play the power game and risk the successful overhauling of the nation’s entire security system, at a time when the safety and security of every Guyanese is at risk. Dr. Luncheon’s comments in the press leave much to be desired and signalled yet another missed opportunity by the nation’s chief executives to demonstrate to the public that they are serious about putting the nation first. Instead, the government seems more interested in exhibiting some kind of political muscle.
Like many Guyanese I am not, at all, surprised by the government’s actions and their usual follow up activity of a shameless propaganda scheme aimed at wining public sympathy.
The government tells Guyanese that it is concerned about their safety but their report card on crime and security concerns is dismal, as their actions are wholly inconsistent with their claims. Just last August the government ditched a crime and security conference organized by the U.S Southern Command, U.S Embassy, and the Center of Hemispheric Defense Studies, and stated publicly that it will have no part of the conference. A day or two before the start of the conference Dr. Luncheon made a statement in the press stating that the government will not attend the conference because, according to him, the government was not allowed to own the programme. So this political stunt pulled by the government should come as no surprise to any of us who pay attention to the actions of this government.
The question now should be who benefits from sustained criminal activities, perpetrated by a growing criminal enterprise?
How can the government defend its position to only want police reform when the Guyana Defence Force and Prison Service are all in the same dilemma? Is the government satisfied with the work of the joint services, in light of the many reports of torture committed by same?
Does the killing of Bartica gold dealer Dweive Ramdass by Guyana Defence Force Coastguards not create a renewed urgency on the part of the government to reform the Guyana Defence Force? One would have thought that with the torture and resulting murder of Edwin Niles while in custody of the Guyana Prison Service, the allegations of the torture of Patrick Sumner, Victor Jones, David Zammit and others by the security forces the President and government would have been adamant in ensuring that there is a major restructuring of the entire security sector.
Why attempt to restrict the reform to the police only, is the government happy with the claims of torture levelled at the security agency?
Dr. Luncheon tells Guyanese that the fact that the British have no longer committed to funding the project will not hamper its implementation, and that public funding will pick up the slack. What he failed to tell us is how much our unborn children will be indebted to the government as a result of this public funding.
Secondly, since the Guyana government, as can be gleaned from his utterances, could have handled this project why didn’t the government initiate same much earlier, and spare the nation all the massacres and mayhem?
Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor
well analyzed and articulated position. these people only care about themselves. look where torture now gone to a lil boy crutch, lad have mercy.
Junk letter. As usual, very selective with the facts in this so called appeal for protection agains crime.. Wha happen, they run outta Guyana flags at Sophia Place for the “heroes” ?
This is a junk letter to a sick mind.
Is it not ironic that Jagdoe and his cabal on the heels of rejecting the british offer to reform law enforcement we have being met out by the foolice to children.
There are clear examples everywhere of why the foolice needs oversight from the British. What will it take this government to come to their senses?
The opposition groups in Guyana need to have a coordinated effort so that the atrocities being committed by the PPP can be lobbied to outside international agencies and governments.
Agree Lurlene.
“It is very difficult for Guyanese to accept and understand why the PPP/C government would try to play the power game and risk the successful overhauling of the nation’s entire security system, at a time when the safety and security of every Guyanese is at risk.”
My friend it is simple to understand. The Power Brokers will loose their CLOUT. This was done out of fear.
the govt is doing all these things because they don’t have any opposition
No the government is doing all these things because they are a dictatorship and the dictatorship will do everything it can to protect their tails and ensure that the abuses continue forever unchecked.
The electorate has a role to play in this and if they continue to give the PPP their votes do not complain about the opposition this and the opposition that…..
nikey, i think it is the activism of the opposition, in particular corbin and the pnc on this torture problem that some of us even know the word torture exist. i think it is fair to give the man he due on this issue. i don’t always agree with the pnc and corbin but he been hammering this thing fuh a long time. i think is people like you now who should join the opposition in the struggle against this cruel govt.
A very well written and analyzed letter Lurlene. The PPP government withdrawal from the British Funded Security Sector Reform Project further highlights the fact that many of us already know; the PPP must be the chief cook and bottle washer too just as they are accusing the Brits of wanting to be. They can’t afford to risk having outsiders embedded in the police force lest they stumble on the PPP’s involvement in committing and covering up crime.
lurlene, under your govt we lost ankoko to venezuela. what did the british do then? did they help guyana get back ankoko? the british and us only protect their own interests. they want to get rid of chavez and they don’t care if they start a war between venezuela and guyana to do so.
Extracted from Lurlene’s letter: According to the government spokesperson Dr. Luncheon, “the British want to be chief cook and battle(bottle) washer”.
For me the above quote by Dr, Luncheon signals clear evidence that the GoG remains a mendicant burden upon the Guyanese people and the economy. The economic tyrants within the leadership of the GoG must first release their grip before reaching final agreement with any legitimate funding source.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the hard line position of the British , because most financing protocols demand that he who pays the Piper will forever be the ones calling the tune. This is better known as accountability. However, it’s obvious that the leadership in GoG seeks only mendicancy, where they can continue to be in the driver’s seat to LORD over the Guyanese people. Never mind that all Gov’t work is Public Service….
Sovereignty is introduced as the biggest red herring to fool the slumbering opposition and locals that greedy foreigners want something special for free. However, after 45years of total economic failure without the aid of private enterprise profits, it’s about high time the Guyanese people demand that the Gov’t get out of the way for national progress.