Civil society has a moral duty to speak out against the torture of a teenager by police ranks, according to leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Raphael Trotman, who has observed that all but a few non-political leaders have been silent.
In a statement issued yesterday, Trotman named the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and Red Thread among those in civil society who are still vocal, saying that an eerie silence remains from those who, “we would have expected to speak out and stand up against the continuous brutalization of citizens by members of the coercive arm of the state.” He noted civil society largely sat back and said nothing when past reports of torture surfaced from others. “This silence of the religious organisations and their priests, pastors, pundits, and imams, the social organisations, youth clubs and organisations, the United Nations Association of Guyana, the ex-police officers association, and ex-members of the disciplined services, other associations of business and manufacturing, and leading citizens in our society, is what makes this administration, and these psychopaths who are state actors, bold and brazen enough to do what they do to other human beings who are Guyanese,” Trotman charged.
He said the group of lawyers protesting the incident and general denial of rights of persons held for questioning is a good start, but stressed that the move must proceed initially without the “usual high-pitched political screams for justice and the respect for the basic human rights of citizens coming from just the political parties to whom the brunt of protest has been shunted.” Trotman said too that his party will support any initiative that stands up and confronts the issue, adding that they are waiting to how the rest of society reacts and responds in the main.
According to Trotman, everyone wants to wash their hands and pass the responsibility to the politicians by asking what they are doing. He emphasized that all are involved and are going to be consumed. “So I, and the AFC are now asking civil society; what have you to say and what will you be doing about this latest atrocity,” he added.
The AFC leader said too that they are looking to see whether the Guyana Bar Association and other professional associations will take the matter further, and “whether for once, the initiative will not have to be begun and sustained by the political opposition, but rather, will see us all standing side, by side, as we confront and defeat the evil within our society.”
Meanwhile, Trotman said the statement issued by the police force on the torture of the teenager suggests that some in the Guyana Police Force view force acceptable when questioning and interrogating suspects. Based on the statement he said it appears, that “excessive” force may have been used in this particular instance, and so there is an investigation into the “allegation.“ He also cited several provisions within the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforce-ment Officials pointing to the use of force by law enforcement officials.
