Dear Editor,
Your news item on Tuesday explaining the government’s decision to curtail awarding commercial advertisements to Stabroek News does not come as a surprise to many, including me.
And this is not the first time it has been done as a form of punishment against Stabroek News, yet Stabroek News continues to survive and do what it set out to do over two decades ago. I expect Stabroek News to maintain its fiercely independent stance in the face of glaring attempts by the PPP regime to establish itself in the mould of the authoritarian Burnham PNC regime.
Censorship is not that bad a practice if it is intended to protect people and institutions against defamation and or worse. Individuals need to practice self-censorship and so do media houses when dealing with sensitive issues and or people. But while government has a right to enforce censorship rules to protect and preserve integrity and image against defamation, government cannot enforce censorship rules simply because it disagrees with the views of independent media outlets. And there have been recent decisions by the government that do not have the full support of the people. In fact, some people have questions they still need answers to. I am one of those people.
For whatever reasons an editorial decision was made twice in the last four weeks to deny publication of two letters I e-mailed to Stabroek News on the issue of the government’s advancing of 168 million dollars to Buddy’s hotel for the reservation of rooms at the Providence hotel.
I know your editorial decisions on letters are basically characterized by a desire to ensure fairness, openness and factuality, even if some arguments are mere opinions. So when my two letters were not published, rather than think you were engaging in censorship, I immediately thought I might have infringed on the limited rights extended letter writers.
Having said that, I must note that I did read the news item on the President taking Stabroek News to task and your editor, Anand Persaud, having to defend the newspaper against the President’s tirade. It was yet another reminder of how important a job your newspaper is doing in this fledgling democracy.
I cannot and will not put my neck on the chopping block for any media house, but when the President of the PPP regime can openly take Stabroek News to task for reporting on issues in a country where there is no freedom of information act and where freedom of expression is under severe pressure, I have to compliment Stabroek News for choosing to be criticized rather than to conform in order to be in the government’s good books.
I have been saying for some time now that this PPP regime has been exhibiting behaviour reminiscent of the Burnham era, and the free media remain the first casualty in any rising dictatorship. I can only hope Guyanese who endured Burnhamism are now paying close attention and do not just think this current decision by government to withdraw ads from Stabroek News is the result of any ‘commercial decision’. It’s political and vindictive.
If the government gets away with this, as it has been trying with other moves in other areas, then look for it to go after bigger game in its quest to establish itself as the regime freely elected by the people to rule with an iron fist.
Yours faithfully,
Editor’s note
Regrettably we did not receive the two letters from Mr Mervin that he refers to. We have had many problems with our e-mail system.
