Dear Editor,
I agree with those who call for sanctions against the perpetrators of the
torture unleashed on a youngster (_Lawyers and human rights body call for sanctions_ (http://www. stabroeknews.com/2009/stories/11/01/lawyers-and-human-rights-body-call-for-sanctions/) (SN Nov 1). The torture burns (and other acts of violence on) of the young man at the hands of police must be condemned in the strongest words possible (as several law bodies and human rights groups have done according to the SN story) and those responsible must be held accountable for their actions. The act of these renegade police is inhumane especially since it was carried out on a minor even if he is connected with the murder committed at Canal and so far we don’t know that to be a fact.
Children often engage in activities not realizing the consequences or are “lured” into committing acts by other adults. We need to treat them as children and not torture them for information. If the kid was involved in a crime or has information about a crime, he should be held accountable for his actions or be encouraged to reveal what he knows without being set on fire. Wanton violence (being set ablaze) should not be unleashed on a young lad. That is not a proper way to ferret out information to be used in an investigation of murder.
While many victims of crime and others believe the law authorities should
take necessary actions to control anti-social elements chronically addicted to criminal activities, the torture of youngsters must be condemned. Such actions are unacceptable.
The physical torture will have a permanent effect on the kid impacting on
his mental well-being for the rest of his life. The act is gruesome and
barbaric. The state should intervene to bring the doers of the torture to justice.
I endorse any legal intervention to file actions against the police who
perpetrated the act. I am curious to know what kind of training the police have had that they can take such drastic actions against a little boy.
I believe Police Commissioner Henry Greene should take appropriate actions against the culprits and those criminal elements who give the police force a bad name. During my polling activities in Guyana on crime, the leading complaint is that elements of the police are involved in criminal activities.
People are losing confidence in the police. Commissioner Greene must initiate actions to clean up the police force weeding out the criminal elements, about whom people complain continuously.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
Yes we see your strategy here, Bisram. It is oh so predictable.
You and the PPP want to remove Commissioner Green so that the PPP candidate in been grooming, Crime Chief Seelall can assume the head of the Police.
How transparent!
What is wrong with getting rid of Greene? What purpose does he serve?
yea yea leh we get rid of Green an put back Felix….
NENE::::::
As far as I’m concerned, you can’t remove Greene because he’s the smartest man they got there…and that’s saying a lot. If you remove him, which mook will you put in his place? You just removing one useless man and putting in another useless man.
The PPP has been grooming selected candidates to immediately replace both top positions within the army and police when the current heads retire. These PPP candidates were hand picked and fast tracked to the second post.
It is the PPP’s desire that once their candidates are in place, the party will have uninhibited control over the joint services.
Unfortunately the fast tracking of these PPP candidates has contributed to the decay in morale within the Police and Army as the ranks view these selected men as “political operatives” who have little regard for military code.
Vishnu, not only must this torture be condemned and corrected but also the state torture of our youths through acts of sexual solictation, beating up in rum shop, denying them jobs and educational opportunity and a lack of role model. You would agree Vishnu that Jagdeo is to blame! Our children are suffering and as Guyana’s youngest elcted president he has done nothing… to give them a chance. You people need to speak up not only when it hurts your own only but also when it hurts your neighbour. Stop the selective condemnation and speak out for what is universally right!!! Justice is blind! Justice has no racial and political allegiance!
What is it with you and your racial and ethnic insinuations? Get a life man. People like you use seclective judgement and think everyone is bias like yourself.
People are damn when they speak and damn when they suffer in silence.
Seclective condemnation?? Look at the mirror.
Raj is right!!!
Way to go Raj
You are on the money Raj, awesome piece!
Mr. Bisram,
I would have thought you should condemn torture in general.
Is your approach of refusing to apply context to this abhorrence deliberate?
Who are the ‘intellectual authors’ here?
“A man is inocent until proven guilty” Justice must prevail.
A man is guilty from the second he commits an illegal act. Your twisted logic would see Hitler as innocent of crimes against humanity since he was never proven guilty. Your logic also leads to the conclusion that a “not guilty” verdict means the person is innocent. A more enlightened position would be the presumption of innocence for all accused of crimes until evidence proves guilt.
Vishnu Bisram attempts these trial balloons which only confirm what a hypocrite he is. He’s silent when torture is applied against people considered to be opposition figures, and lukewarm in his criticism when the same forces apply the same to supposedly government supporters.
Greene can’t be trusted. As far as I am concerned, the public lost confidence in the joint forces years ago. The actions that Guyana as a whole seek in justice will never come. People in Guyana are like modern day Manchurian citizens, just walking around like drones.
…And the drones will march triumphantly for another stage of the PPP revolution
… and imagine it all started with just a ‘lil roughing’ up … as my mother used to warn me when I used to play with matches as a small boy … Michael just one lil match can bu’n down this house!
Mr Vishnu Bisram is so non-committal on this issue when it comes to shouting at the PPP government. He is smart to engage in generalities; urging and condemning police actions.
What Mr Bisram fails to admit publicly is that the sub-culture of violence and torture is a by-product of the criminality at the top, meaning the culprits who hold the reins of government. Mr. Bisram’s hypocrisy is shamelessly blatant, given all the talk he talks.
Vishnu, nothing you write can temper the cruelty that has been meted out to this child. What the GPF has done is much worst than the alleged crime committed by this child. Making excuses does not make it right. Think before putting pen to paper.
Mr Bisram, it is WRONG to torture a child, an adult or an animal. Your missive gives the impression that it is only wrong to torture children but it is ok to set suspected adults on fire to burn a confession out of them.
Torture of anyone is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG !!!
Only youngsters Mr Bisram? What about just torture?
Remember the Police implied it might be okay because the youngster SAID HE WAS EIGHTEEN.
One poster yesterday even suggested that the outrage was unjustified because in the photos “HE HAD TATTOOS, WHAT CHILD HAS TATTOOS?”