Dear Editor,
I read in Stabroek News (3rd Nov), Minister Rohee “pointing out that justice may be blind…that it now seems that it has to look in both directions – the side of the murder victim and to the side of the victims claiming torture.”
Minister Robert Persaud referred to the GDF torture where persons were horribly burned too as “roughing up”; on the Health Ministry fire, Minister Rohee stated “those who don’t hear will feel”; he also said “we are too often concerned about the welfare of the perpetrators” and that “Guyanese are more concerned about the goodies arriving in their barrels from overseas, acquiring a house lot and their own home, than the torture of two Buxtonian men allegedly by members of the security forces.”; Police Commissioner Henry Greene asked “if a man throws hot water on you, is that torture?”; our President himself said “I wouldn’t lose any sleep, frankly speaking, about criminals when they kill each other.”
To be clear, I am not using the President’s words to suggest he condones torture. I am using them to illustrate his seeming lack of concern for proper crime solving techniques, and it would appear he views killing as a solution. My point here, Editor, is that with these words from officialdom the performance of the Disciplined Forces in recent years can be understood. Why then should the buck stop at Commander Morrison for the torture of the boy at the Leonora Police Station?
The irony too is that the Ramnauth Bisram murder case is now likely to fall apart. One can therefore only be bewildered at the Home Affairs Minister asking justice to look at both sides, when it is the direct actions of those under him that has ensured an outcome of the pure opposite – injustice to all, justice for none.
The killing of bandits has left Guyana no more secure. As one is killed another takes his place – Blackie, then Andrew Douglas, then Fineman – all gunned down and no questions answered.
We can therefore never be sure of what will reoccur when, as illustrated by yesterday’s events. As noted in my recent interview in the Guyana Review (31st Oct) it was HL Mencken that said there was always a simple solution to any given human problem – neat, plausible and wrong.
Yours faithfully,
Gerhard Ramsaroop
What is evolving is quite simple: Criminality is being met with criminality. That statement is self-evident. Just look at what goes on for government and the picture is clear. You do not need binoculars to understand life under the PPP regime. Guyana has gone to hell.
If in doubt,contact Dr Randy Persaud, Dr Prem Misir, Dr Ravi Dev, et al.
Gerhard, very good letter but the AFC needs to do much much much more. Go back to all the human rights abuses and speak for the abused. You should not only speak when it can give political mileage. Show genuine concern for ALL Guyanese. Speak out for all, regardless of race and political association.
Gerhard, in addition to Blackie, Fineman and Douglas, can you remember the notable Chowtie and Inspector Gadjet? Why haven’t you name them? Roger Khan also fits into this crime group. The brutal crimes over the years were committed by both Indians and Africans. No denying it. There is also white collar crime daily by this gov’t on its citizens. Look what is happening! Name all of them, shame all of them and stop all of them!
Raj how much do you really think the AFC is capable of doing?
The AFC can only do so much the people themselves need to rise up.
The people of Guyana are the ones who need to support the AFC to be that voice you are looking for. Many folks seem to believe the AFC can just get up and do miracles. The AFC is a fantastic organization and they really have the leadership to drive change but we have to be realistic about what the challenges are and how they need to be addressed.
What do you want the Guyanese people, more importantly the disciplined forces paid by the people, to do Mr. Ramsaroop ? Sit down and twiddle their thumbs ?
Each and every time any criminal, guided by the real string pullers , who try to undermine the achievements of the Guyansee people by terror and they refuse to obey legimitimate instructions of the forces, they gon dead. End of story…
Well said!
Reddy the important thing here is due process is not being followed. I have always felt that Blackie et.al should have been brought to face a jury of their peers and when found guilty hang ie do things the legal way. Make no mistake a crime is a crime despite ones policital a viewpoint.
If the police kill criminals indiscriminately in the streets they will be conveying the message that there is no law and order and the criminal minds will take note and respond in like manner. Just examine the events of the last few years in Guyana and you will see the pattern
Wow! Many people here like to say you speak for the government. I certainly hope they are wrong; otherwise may God have mercy on Guyana.
Sammboy, Due process ? Criminals/terrorists and their anti-government string pullers in Guyana, do not respect due process. Blackie did not obey legitimate instructions of police and was put down.All like he dead and more to follow because they won’t hear. No tears shed. Simple as ABC .Some stupid politcians put flag pon he coffin and lost respect of Guyanese fo all races.
This Sunday, is Remembrance Day. Buy a poppy. Hitler and his fascists did not respect due process and Allies had to deal with dem.ABC ..Peace…
sammboy I commend you for trying to school Reddy about due process but really you must not have been following his comments because you would know that due process is not a concept that he suscribes to.
Reddy only believes in due process when it comes to Kwame and the PPP’s involvement with Roger Khan.
Reddy anyone that operates outside of the Law MUST be dealt with within the provisions of the law. The continued and increasing voilence in Guyana is as a result of the fact that the people and agencies responsible for maintaining the law are themselves breaking the law. I am not sympathetic with none of the names you mentioned, however I believe that had they not been unlawfully gunned down information on the growing criminal elements in Guyana would have been gathered and systems put in place to deal with them. The government is too reactive instead of pro active.
That’s right Reddy, kill them all so the string-pullers are never revealed. Are you even listening to yourself?
This same sloppy police-work you are promoting is why our security situation remains so tenuous, why so little cases are tried successfully, and why so little justice is afforded the victims and their families.
Reddy, with your reference to WWII, does this mean you have no issue with the firebombing of Dresden and the nuclear destruction of Nagasaki and Hiroshima? Things are not always black and white my friend – unless you subscribe to solutions that are neat, plausible, and wrong.
Mr Rohee’s comment about justice having to be now burdened with accomodating accusations from “ones claiming torture” was indeed impolitic.
It clearly exposed his bias that persons within the police’s control should not be afforded rights befitting a true democracy.
Why yall don’t leave de government alone do u think the PNC or AFC can do any better is only GOD can bring peace to earth Obama was elected on change and for a better and more secure world do u see that happening? Infact Pakistan is more unstable the world is in a recession and ppl dying all over the world violently every SINGLE day, so stop hoping for man to make the world better and pray to GOD to make haste come fe him world!
God can only do so much Bang…We are not concern about the other countries,our main concern is about our beloved Guyana.
Bad and wrong things happen there, we have a right to be concern.
Our children have to go back there to see the roots of their parents and grandparents,do u think I could take my children there?
We fuel the US dollar into that economy, and this is what the country has become.
So please shut up and let our views be heard!
Guyana’s murder rates per 100,000 population is still in double digits. Right now it’s 13.2.
Beautifully painted picture Gerhard….’the bandits were gunned down’.
You failed to include all the details in the background that led to their demise…..FYI each one of the individuals you named was armed with assault weapons at the time of death.
Please what you want the man to write a book?
Give me a break you folks want your cake and eat it. The jist of the letter Gerhard has written is to point out that all the actions of the government getting in bed with the drug traffickers to kill other criminals only resulted in criminalization of the society and the armed forces.
That is something many of the short sighted folks in our society seem to conveniently not see.
No one is saying the criminals should have not been dealt with but the means does not justify the end.
Ms. Witchie let me draw your attention to these words relating to Blackie: “In the US the police would often wait four to five days for a man they have cornered in a building to come out. He either surrenders or they figure out a way, but to use missile and weapons that resulted in damage to get the man [London] out of the building was improper and impatient,” Justice Singh said. (http://www.stabroeknews.com/2008/stories/10/01/blackie-siege-toucan-owner-awarded/)
From the reports (http://www.stabroeknews.com/2008/stories/08/29/fineman-skinny-killed-in-police-operation/), Fineman was also trapped in a building.
Isn’t it odd too that every single other bandit confronted by the Disciplined Forces was killed? No one has ever been caught to answer any questions! Even in the heyday of shootouts in the US in the ’20s and ’30s where the bandits were often better equipped than the police, the police still managed to capture some and were able to break criminal networks.
All too often we fall into a racist mould when it comes to the handling of crime by this Gov’t, and totally lose sight of the fact that not only is the situation getting worse, but we are burdening future generations who will have to pay for the very avoidable mistakes being made today.
These “mistakes” are being made for the sake of not relinquishing any amount of control by the Gov’t to anyone thereby opening the possibility of Gov’t corruption, impropriety and ineptitude being revealed, and serve the narrow political purpose of keeping a whole section of Guyanese in fear so as to shamelessly harvest their votes.
Can you otherwise tell my why the 1.6 billion, yes billion, British programme for total reform of the security sector was rejected by the Guyana Gov’t?
Good letter gehard.
No matter what happens who do we blame.Somebody.Driven by the demands of the moment,politically sidelined,disenchated,perhaps both in a combination, it may be unwise to indulge in this kind of guesswork.First, you have to realize two things.Fears are not always logical, therefore it is imperative to understand that ALL criminals in Guyana with equally bad intentions, are not off the streets.Second,if you are still looking for the Guyana of decades ago, peacefull,those lazy days, you are in for a shock. What kind? A future shock.Simply put,nothing remains the same forever.The Guyana you are seeking is now only to be found in books.One will be advised to get used to a changing world and the many ramifications that come with it.Not only in Guyana, but globally.
shhhhhhhhhh did u hear something?
Distraction, disgrace and so called intellectual authors
Gerhard excellent letter; keep speaking the truth and you will continue to raise the ire of the PPP apologist such as “Never Reddy” and “Dumb Bang.”
This one sentence taken from your letter says it all “The killing of bandits has left Guyana no more secure. As one is killed another takes his place – Blackie, then Andrew Douglas, then Fineman – all gunned down and no questions answered.” Dead men tell no tale, particularly in the case of Fineman.