Dear Editor,
It is appalling to see that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is attempting to justify the illegal and unlawful acts of its members who entered the Turkeyen campus of the University of Guyana (UG) on the February 12 and 13, 2013 at night, without seeking permission to do so from the relevant administrative authorities of UG and, also failing to report to campus security that they were seeking to apprehend one of their members. Their actions resulted in the disruption of classes on both occasions and caused students to be apprehensive about the application of force to their persons. This fear caused students to take evasive action, such as retreating to the sides of the classroom or abandoning classes altogether.
The University of Guyana is an autonomous body that is authorized by law to carry out the function of teaching throughout the length and breadth of Guyana under Chapter 39:02 of the Laws of Guyana. Section 4 reads: “The aims of the university are to provide a place of education, learning and research of a standard required and expected of a university of the highest standard, and to secure the advancement of knowledge and the diffusion and extension of arts, sciences and learning throughout Guyana.”
The University of Guyana is saddled by law with the responsibility of eradicating ignorance throughout the length and breadth of Guyana, and the members of the GDF are not excluded from this ambit and mandate, thus, the university can be likened to the mother of education in Guyana and as such must enjoy ‘sanctity of privacy.’
The GDF’s legal mandate is to defend the country against enemies of the state, but under the Defence Act Chapter 15:01, the university is legally responsible for the enhancement of the education of members of the army and, therefore, the GDF ought to hold UG in the highest esteem and not trample upon her ‘dignity’ (constitutionally and legally violating her rights as a legal person) in the manner its members did on February 12 and 13, 2013.
The Defence Act quoted by the GDF does not authorise the GDF in times of peace, where no war, insurrection, mutiny, unrest, revolt or state of emergency exists to violate the ‘sanctity of privacy’ of legal organisations in Guyana; further, where the GDF is assisting the Guyana Police Force in carrying out the latter’s mandate, the GDF is subject to supervision by the GPF.
Furthermore, sections 47 and 48 of Chapter 15:01, quoted by the GDF authorities, do not provide for illegal entry into private property by the GDF, but rather provide for the manner in which the GDF should deal with its members.
It must be clearly understood that members of the GDF are uniformed, and are not like members of the GPF who can attire themselves in civilian clothing, as they did on the night in question. The members of the GDF must serve our government and people according to the laws of Guyana to make us proud of them and the service they render to this wonderful country.
They are without rational, reasonable and or legal excuse for having entered the university in the manner they did violating her sanctity of privacy, and ought to do the right thing and apologize to the students of the university.
Yours faithfully,
Ganesh Mahipaul
President
UGSS
