The Guyana Peace Builders Network (PBN) in condemning the slayings at Bartica is appealing to policymakers to consider an effective gun control policy and advance measures to stymie the access to arms.
Referring to the slayings as a mirroring of the recent killings at Lusignan, the group said that unless the perpetrators – the shooters and the highly resourced organizers – of the killings are apprehended and processed within the framework of the rule of law, acts of violence will continue unabated.
PBN stated in a press release last Saturday that the nation needs timely, effective and concerted action, noting that otherwise the likelihood for recovery by the survivors of the slayings can become unduly and unfairly lengthy. The advocates of non-violence added that the national trauma will likewise increase and deepen with unforeseen circumstances.
“We note and share the concern expressed nationwide of the violence linked to the illegal drug trade, which operates in and out of Guyana with its modus operandi of brutal criminal acts and executions; and join the many voices for appropriate and necessary joint action at the national, regional and international levels to rout out this scourge from our country,” the releasse said.
PBN said it welcomes “all initiatives for dialogue and action that will approach the current crisis on the basis of preservation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of each citizen and promotes healing, reconciliation and justice in communities.”
