Dear Editor,
We seem to be back at the days when Dayclean used to complain that “no procession other than a funeral procession” could be held without permission under the Public Order Act.
By the way, I may still have to explain to dumb people that I am not seeking votes in an election.
Many individuals and communities in Guyana feel abused, and are actually abused. In Lusignan, January 26 some homes in Lusignan suffered the highest level of abuse,, malicious injury and untimely death.
People felt strongly enough about this to stage marches in protest claiming, I believe, that they were unprotected, or for whatever reason. There was the burning of tyres, called “fires”.
When in 2001 young Buxtonians felt abused, beat off the death squad and burned tyres and cut village roads, I said nothing. I took the slight inconvenience and found a way to come and go. I protested only when the young men began to beat innocent people passing in buses and then when they brought out guns.
I did not expect the people of Buxton to fold their arms and give up the right of peaceful protest. I myself have never given up that right.
My position now is the same. Why should the people of the east coast who feel close to the sufferers of Lusignan not protest, not march, not show their anger? Minister Rohee and the police must say whether the protesters were armed, or carried dangerous weapons. With full personal knowledge of the trend of public and inter -ethnic behaviour in times of stress, I see the tear-gassing and other government tactics as repressive, perhaps even more repressive than on the afternoon of Shaka Blair’s funeral in 2002 where there were incidents near the cemetery.
It seems that Guyana’s ruling party wants the people to behave like sheep, even when they are peaceful and bear no arms or weapons.
All Guyanese should take note.
Yours faithfully,
Eusi Kwayana
