The Guyana Partnership for Human Rights (GPHR) has called on the government to seek all possible avenues of assistance in the event that the Joint Services are unable to make breakthroughs in the probes of the Bartica and Lusignan massacres.
In a statement on Wednesday, GPHR said it is horrified at the murders of 23 persons in the two separate attacks.
“The wantonness of the killings raises serious questions about the motives of the gunmen and exposes the callous disregard for human life which has found expression in many forms here”, GPHR said.
It called on the Joint Services to conduct expeditious and professional investigations to arrest the perpetrators of the massacres and to ascertain the reasons behind the killings.
GPHR said it is concerned that weeks have elapsed since the massacres without the main body of gunmen involved in the attack being captured.
The group also called on the government to devise a “structured programme” of aid to the victims of these massacres which takes account of needs such as counselling and immediate expenses that arise from the loss of breadwinners.
GPHR was formed in September, 2007. It comprises representatives of state and non-state entities in an alliance to promote respect for all human rights.
The initial focus of the GPHR is to educate the public on the UN human rights treaty system and monitor Guyana’s compliance with its reporting obligations to the UN right committees. GPHR’s steering committee comprises Gem Sanford-Johnson Co-Chair, Martin Goolsarran Co-Chair, Vanita Jaipaul, Andrew Garnett, David James and Anand Persaud
