Simels trial revelations
Posted By Mark McGowan On August 8, 2009 @ 5:20 am In Local News | 22 Comments
Parties join forces for gov’t accountability –to compile dossier on rights abuses
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/08/08/simels-trial-revelations/
Recent revelations in a US court claiming links between members of the government and drug trafficker Shaheed Roger Khan have seen six political parties joining forces to sensitize international organizations on the matter and force greater accountability from the government.
The parties involved in this action are the Alliance for Change (AFC), Guyana Action Party (GAP), National Front Alliance (NFA), People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Unity Party and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA).
Robert Simels [1]
Robert Simels
At a press conference held yesterday at the Cara Lodge, the AFC was represented by its Leader Raphael Trotman, Party Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan and Executive Member Clayton Hall, GAP by Everall Franklin and the NFA by its Leader Keith Scott. Opposition Leader Robert Corbin represented the PNCR, while the WPA was represented by Executive Member Desmond Trotman and Co-Leader Dr Rupert Roopnaraine.
During the press conference, Trotman of the WPA said members of the political parties had met on Monday “to discuss the unfolding revelations in the Robert Simels trial in the federal court of New York, USA and the grave implications that such revelations may have for national security and good governance in Guyana.” At that meeting “it was agreed that a unified approach be activated to realize greater accountability, justice, res-pect for and observance of the rule of law and, generally, the establishment of good governance practices.”
Reading from a prepared statement, he said “the parties, have, accordingly agreed to compile a comprehensive dossier cataloguing the government’s human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings, torture and complicity with known organised crime gangs and narco traffickers and the resulting corruption in high office.” He said “the dossier upon completion will be submitted to local, regional and international bodies, including the courts with the appropriate jurisdiction and released to the media and the public.”
Trotman also said that “arrangements are also being put in place for the mounting of a robust public education campaign to alert our citizens of the lawlessness of the PPP/C government, since that is considered the single major obstacle to national cohesion, the development, peace and security in Guyana.”
And according to the statement, the campaign will be always conducted “on the basis of consensus and in accordance with the laws and the Constitution of Guyana.”
Raphael Trotman [2]
Raphael Trotman
Khemraj Ramjattan [3]
Khemraj Ramjattan
The statement also indicated the commitment of the parties to meetings with civil society organizations, including trade unions, professional associations, religious bodies and private sector organisations in this campaign.
In explaining the joint initiative, Roopnaraine said that it was a campaign that represented the belief that the combined energies of efforts of the parties would have a greater impact as opposed to single party operations.
Corbin said that he was prepared to work with all parties on this matter which was one of “national concern” since it affected all Guy-anese.
Fear and smear
Ramjattan stated that the reply of the government to these allegations was one of “fear and smear” and he opined that the combination of resources could produce a better counter to this campaign.
When the question about the purpose of sending the dossier to international agencies was raised, there were differing views as to what this would achieve. Raphael Trotman opined that while Guyanese need to solve the problems themselves, international bodies needed to be sensitized about the matter and made aware that there was a united effort being made by the opposition parties. He, however, emphasized that it was in no way begging the international organizations to come and fix the country’s problems.
Franklin opined that the problem needed to be solved with the present government’s involvement and he said that the government needed to be engaged.
But Corbin opined that there is limited hope that the government would facilitate an inquiry and the citizens of the country need to stand up and force the administration to accountability. He further stated that based on the administration’s behaviour, if the government conducted an independent inquiry by itself questions about its credibility will arise. Corbin said this was why the PNCR was calling for an international body like Interpol to conduct an investigation, although he said that this body may have its own limitations in how far it could intervene in such a matter. He argued that there were other human rights bodies and the International Criminal Court which could be explored. Corbin said he hoped that if the parties accumulated the right evidence, they could trigger some international body to carry out the investigations, as he pointed out that this had happened elsewhere.
Roopnaraine argued that the extent to which international bodies respond is dependent on the level of indignation that is demonstrated locally. He said that is why the parties will be teaming up to launch an aggressive education campaign, which he identified as being crucial until the requisite level of national indignation is achieved. The WPA leader said this campaign could include public meetings and civil society marches among other activities.
When asked specifically about the apparent shift in attitude regarding marches, Roopnaraine said the government has worked hard and overtime to criminalize street protests. This, he opined, was the case in 2001 and 2006 and he stated that the government kept linking protests with violence. He, however, emphasized that this initiative is one in the interest of peace.
Meanwhile, when quizzed about the legitimacy of the evidence, should Simels be acquitted by the US Court of the charges, the political leaders were adamant that the evidence would still be relevant.
The AFC’s Trotman said the evidence given was sworn testimony which only confirmed what persons locally already had some information about, a fact which Corbin supported.
Ramjattan contended that both the prosecution and defence have come up with evidence linking the Guyana government to Khan’s activities.
Trotman also opined that the Director of Public Prosecutions should have requested to see the files on certain matters and given advice for prosecution to be done here. He said that Khan’s decision to plead guilty had its own implications about what sort of activities went on locally adding that the will to prosecute is simply not here.
Surveillance equipment
The ‘spy machine’ yesterday at Police HQ, Eve Leary. In background, Top Cop Henry Greene is returning to his office. [4]
The ‘spy machine’
The leaders were also asked about their attempts to ascertain, firstly from the US government whether it gave permission for the shipment of the surveillance equipment and secondly from Smith Myers as to whom from the Guyana Government had given permission for this transaction.
In response, Raphael Trotman said that back in 2002, when he was a member of the PNCR, he was aware that the then PNCR Leader Desmond Hoyte had written to both the US government and Smith Myers requesting information but it was not provided. He said that Smith Myers acknowledged the request but said that it could not be answered for national security reasons.
However, he said the joint opposition will now make a fresh attempt to find this out from the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, Ramjattan disclosed that the parties are currently trying to get from the Commissioner of Police information about Charles Chapman, who allegedly travelled to Guyana to train persons in the use of surveillance equipment. He said that they want to ascertain when he came to Guyana and how long he spent in the country. Ramjattan pointed out that immigration documentation should be able to supply this sort of information. Observers have noted that Chapman’s testimony could expose the entire conspiracy if he revealed who had handled his travel arrangements, who he had met while here and who he trained.
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Showing posts with label torture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label torture. Show all posts
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Responsibility to Protect
R2P
Posted By Stabroek staff On August 4, 2009 @ 5:01 am In Editorial | 2 Comments
Recent pronouncements on human rights in Guyana seem to have collided with the new international doctrine of the state’s ‘Responsibility to Protect.’ Widely known as ‘R2P,’ this doctrine has become an important part of international relations. It defines both the state’s responsibilities towards its citizens and the international community’s responsibility, in the event that the state fails to fulfil its responsibilities to protect its own population.
The principles of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ prescribe that, if a state is unwilling or unable to carry out its responsibility to prevent egregious violations of human rights such as genocide or massive killings, responsibility for doing so must be transferred to the international community, which must attempt to solve problems by peaceful means initially and, as a last resort, by military force.
Was the validity of the doctrine of the state’s ‘Responsibility to Protect’ being questioned when President Bharrat Jagdeo last Wednesday referred to allegations of mistreatment by the security forces of persons arrested in connection with the arson at the Ministry of Health?
The President declared that “there seems to be a new campaign, supported by some sections of the media, that is focusing attention on human rights issues rather than the fervent effort to apprehend the criminal masterminds responsible for such a reprehensible act… I think this is disgusting but it’s a very clever strategy… This is the kind of warped logic that we have in this country and it’s all a smokescreen painted deliberately so that people don’t see the real issues and the real perpetrators… Why bother with the fire, loss of millions, and people across the country suffering, their records lost… why bother with that? Let us focus on this one thing and make it look like the whole government is beating people on the streets and violating their human rights and all that stuff.”
The point about the doctrine of the state’s ‘Responsibility to Protect’ is that, although the state has an obligation to protect its physical property − such as government buildings from fire and Defence Force weapons from theft − it has a higher responsibility to protect human beings from torture and extrajudicial killing, especially by its security forces. So far, the public has not been satisfied with the administration’s investigations in the allegations of Michael Dunn, Victor Jones, Sharth Robertson, Patrick Sumner, Alvin Wilson and others who claimed that they were tortured by members of the Guyana Defence Force. Nor have these citizens been compensated for their injuries.
The language and behaviour displayed by ministers of the government also suggest that the R2P doctrine is either not fully understood or is being deliberately trivialised. Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, for example, told the National Assembly in October last year that claims by some of the alleged victims of torture were ‘false’ and added that the inquiry had found only cases of “roughing up.” He attempted to rationalise their mistreatment by suggesting that, in light of the “new face of criminality,” the security forces would use “a certain amount of physical and mental pressure” in order to get information.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee also, responding to concerns about the mediaeval conditions at Brickdam lock-ups, declared coldly, “…a police station lock-up is not a hotel room at Buddy’s or Pegasus. If you don’t want to go in a police lock-ups, stay out of trouble… Once you want to commit an infraction of the law and are apprehended, you have to suffer the consequences. All societies are made up in this way.”
If the state refuses to accept its absolute ‘responsibility to protect’ its own citizens from abuse, what should the people do?
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Article printed from Stabroek News: http://www.stabroeknews.com
URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/editorial/08/04/r2p/
Posted By Stabroek staff On August 4, 2009 @ 5:01 am In Editorial | 2 Comments
Recent pronouncements on human rights in Guyana seem to have collided with the new international doctrine of the state’s ‘Responsibility to Protect.’ Widely known as ‘R2P,’ this doctrine has become an important part of international relations. It defines both the state’s responsibilities towards its citizens and the international community’s responsibility, in the event that the state fails to fulfil its responsibilities to protect its own population.
The principles of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ prescribe that, if a state is unwilling or unable to carry out its responsibility to prevent egregious violations of human rights such as genocide or massive killings, responsibility for doing so must be transferred to the international community, which must attempt to solve problems by peaceful means initially and, as a last resort, by military force.
Was the validity of the doctrine of the state’s ‘Responsibility to Protect’ being questioned when President Bharrat Jagdeo last Wednesday referred to allegations of mistreatment by the security forces of persons arrested in connection with the arson at the Ministry of Health?
The President declared that “there seems to be a new campaign, supported by some sections of the media, that is focusing attention on human rights issues rather than the fervent effort to apprehend the criminal masterminds responsible for such a reprehensible act… I think this is disgusting but it’s a very clever strategy… This is the kind of warped logic that we have in this country and it’s all a smokescreen painted deliberately so that people don’t see the real issues and the real perpetrators… Why bother with the fire, loss of millions, and people across the country suffering, their records lost… why bother with that? Let us focus on this one thing and make it look like the whole government is beating people on the streets and violating their human rights and all that stuff.”
The point about the doctrine of the state’s ‘Responsibility to Protect’ is that, although the state has an obligation to protect its physical property − such as government buildings from fire and Defence Force weapons from theft − it has a higher responsibility to protect human beings from torture and extrajudicial killing, especially by its security forces. So far, the public has not been satisfied with the administration’s investigations in the allegations of Michael Dunn, Victor Jones, Sharth Robertson, Patrick Sumner, Alvin Wilson and others who claimed that they were tortured by members of the Guyana Defence Force. Nor have these citizens been compensated for their injuries.
The language and behaviour displayed by ministers of the government also suggest that the R2P doctrine is either not fully understood or is being deliberately trivialised. Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, for example, told the National Assembly in October last year that claims by some of the alleged victims of torture were ‘false’ and added that the inquiry had found only cases of “roughing up.” He attempted to rationalise their mistreatment by suggesting that, in light of the “new face of criminality,” the security forces would use “a certain amount of physical and mental pressure” in order to get information.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee also, responding to concerns about the mediaeval conditions at Brickdam lock-ups, declared coldly, “…a police station lock-up is not a hotel room at Buddy’s or Pegasus. If you don’t want to go in a police lock-ups, stay out of trouble… Once you want to commit an infraction of the law and are apprehended, you have to suffer the consequences. All societies are made up in this way.”
If the state refuses to accept its absolute ‘responsibility to protect’ its own citizens from abuse, what should the people do?
2 Comments (Open | Close)
Article printed from Stabroek News: http://www.stabroeknews.com
URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/editorial/08/04/r2p/
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
It is never ‘okay’ for governments to act illegally
It is never ‘okay’ for governments to act illegally
Posted By Stabroek staff On August 4, 2009 @ 5:08 am In Letters | 9 Comments
Dear Editor,
The Minister of Health has accused certain sections of the media of sensationalizing the revelations made by Selwyn Vaughn during his recent testimony in a New York court. He is obviously incapable of recognizing a sensational story when he sees one. This is not something that the media made up. This is a case where a witness in a court of law is describing, under oath, details of actual murders committed in our country allegedly ordered by a local drug lord.
The Minister shows his contempt for the Guyanese people by suggesting to local journalists that this is not a story they should be pursuing. What he really means is that the Guyanese public should be denied the details of Vaughn’s testimony and the local media should not attempt to determine its accuracy. He would do well in North Korea.
The President has also been speaking his mind, claiming not to lose any sleep when rival criminal gangs execute each other’s members with no innocent loss of life. Neither do I. However, I do lose sleep when the authorities just sit back and allow this to take place. I lose even more sleep when I realize that this might be their master-plan.
There are increasing indications that certain senior Government officials went a step further and collaborated with criminal gangs. For those who feel this was okay I wish to draw a comparison with those who, by an equally convoluted logic, felt it was okay for the government to rig elections back in the seventies. It is never ‘okay’ for governments to act illegally.
A government that does so forfeits the moral authority necessary to maintain law and order, resulting in lawlessness at all levels within the society and its national institutions. This is already clear to see in Guyana.
Finally, in response to the testimony emerging from the Simels trial, the AFC decided it would not attend parliament last Thursday. Former minister Ms Gail Texeira during a lop-sided panel discussion aired on NCN TV over the weekend remarked that the AFC is an outgrowth of the PNC. This was immediately followed by an accusation from Dr Roger Luncheon that the AFC is attempting to provoke violent demonstrations by engaging in “extra-parliamentary” activities.
This was a desperate attempt to discredit the AFC by using the threat of violence and linking it to that violence. The fact is that the AFC has succeeded in drawing moderate supporters from both the PNC and PPP.
The bulk of AFC membership and support, however, come from Guyanese not affiliated with either of these two parties but sufficiently disgusted with the way in which they have allowed their political rivalry to take precedence over national development.
Both the PPP and the PNC have engaged in and been associated with acts of violence in the past. The AFC has not.
Yours faithfully,
Dominic Gaskin
9 Comments (Open | Close)
9 Comments To "It is never ‘okay’ for governments to act illegally"
#1 Comment By gap1 On August 4, 2009 @ 7:12 am
AFC attracts bright, independent-minded Guyanese who have the ability to use their own minds and draw their own conclusions, who are guided by qa sense of fairness and justice and who love their country, enough to even be critical of the AFC as indeed they have been when criticism was merited.
PPP and PNC gets the party hacks who it seems forever, would have to keep defending their party’s wrong-doings which has been getting more and more difficult to do while maintaining any semblance of decency and credibility.
Good luck for Guyana, more and more Guyanese are getting tired of the same of old party-line. The future of Guyana lies with the AFC.
#2 Comment By bull$%^& detector On August 4, 2009 @ 7:50 am
It was a civil war …the police and army could not be trusted. A legitimately elected government was under siege by a politically backed force of criminals calling themselves freedom fighters. They had no other choice. Maybe some innocent people died on both sides but that is what happens in wars. Maybe the wrong kinds of people were hired to do the killings on both sides. There are no innocent parties here.
Now everyone get over it. This is not a part of Guyana’s history anyone can be proud of but I don’t feel putting this government on trial for this is helpful.
#3 Comment By Reddy in Barabdos On August 4, 2009 @ 8:53 am
Let’s get real here. The AFC didn’t garner votes from the PNC in last election ? Who are we trying to fool here, Mr. Gaskin ?
The “Witness” in the so called revelations ? Wasn’t he chaged with fraud in Guyana and will now live his days happilly ever at the expense of the US taxpayers for turncoat “singing” at the hearing ?
#4 Comment By coolieman On August 4, 2009 @ 10:22 am
The AFC Trotman was with the PNC during the crime wave and there were allegations that the PNC were supporting the FREE-DUMB fighters, being that Trotman is the leader of the AFC it is not fair to disassociate the AFC from acts of violence.
#5 Comment By amen-ra [jackass seh de world na level] On August 4, 2009 @ 10:51 am
what civil war you talking about, it was the criminal fighting for their drug turf, and the govt got in and helped the criminals by giving them free range to do whatever they wanted to do.
#6 Comment By gap1 On August 4, 2009 @ 11:42 am
You left out Ramjattan from the PPP and Holder from the WPA. Seems like the rest of us, just plain ol’ fed up with racial politics…
#7 Comment By bull$%^& detector On August 4, 2009 @ 12:13 pm
19 policemen shot dead…in hit jobs…an attempt to assassinate the cabinet after the PPP meeting in Berbice. The video of the Freedom Fighter addressing the nation like Osama bin Laden…the attacks on neighboring villages to Buxton killing people randomly only because they were Indian. Need i go on? This was a civil war and the government engaged a drug dealer to fight for them because they could not trust the police and army. Was it right? War ain’t pretty. And i think we just need to leave it alone. Lets go after the government for other things -corruption, incompetence etc – but not
for this.
#8 Comment By Gerhard On August 4, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
Labelling by association – how puerile. Trotman while in the PNC called for the PNC to apologise for the past in an effort toward healing and reconciliation. How conveniently you forget this coolieman.
While I was still active in the PPP Raph never ‘passed me straight’, nor did he ever have an unkind word to say. For us, younger politicians, we have time on our side to prove that we have remained true to our principles regardless of where we came from.
The AFC has unequivocally condemned ALL the killings in Guyana. Here is how we would have done things differently: [1]
For those of us with short memories, Ramjattan while in the PPP, called for deep and urgent reform of the disciplined forces and for this (which he had put in writing) he was censured by Freedom House in 1993. His prophetic words fell on deaf ears.
The AFC is keenly aware of the security issues in Guyana and is the only party with a plan.
Who, coolieman, was the party in power for 17 years that has done little to ameliorate the security situation in Guyana? You mean the PNC is still to blame for this? Isn’t it a convenient truth to those in power that when there is violence inflicted on their supporters that they emotionally come running to the Cup? Who continues to exploit this?!
#9 Comment By pepie On August 4, 2009 @ 12:56 pm
Coolieman why know mention of where Ramjattan was during the the crime period before the AFC was formed. Moderate do you see the coded post. This is what has Guyana in this position. So much can be say about the top three position in the AFC but coolieman choose only to attacked Raphael. This is the same reason why Roger took advantage of our divided society.
Article printed from Stabroek News: http://www.stabroeknews.com
URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/letters/08/04/it-is-never-%e2%80%98okay%e2%80%99-for-governments-to-act-illegally/
Posted By Stabroek staff On August 4, 2009 @ 5:08 am In Letters | 9 Comments
Dear Editor,
The Minister of Health has accused certain sections of the media of sensationalizing the revelations made by Selwyn Vaughn during his recent testimony in a New York court. He is obviously incapable of recognizing a sensational story when he sees one. This is not something that the media made up. This is a case where a witness in a court of law is describing, under oath, details of actual murders committed in our country allegedly ordered by a local drug lord.
The Minister shows his contempt for the Guyanese people by suggesting to local journalists that this is not a story they should be pursuing. What he really means is that the Guyanese public should be denied the details of Vaughn’s testimony and the local media should not attempt to determine its accuracy. He would do well in North Korea.
The President has also been speaking his mind, claiming not to lose any sleep when rival criminal gangs execute each other’s members with no innocent loss of life. Neither do I. However, I do lose sleep when the authorities just sit back and allow this to take place. I lose even more sleep when I realize that this might be their master-plan.
There are increasing indications that certain senior Government officials went a step further and collaborated with criminal gangs. For those who feel this was okay I wish to draw a comparison with those who, by an equally convoluted logic, felt it was okay for the government to rig elections back in the seventies. It is never ‘okay’ for governments to act illegally.
A government that does so forfeits the moral authority necessary to maintain law and order, resulting in lawlessness at all levels within the society and its national institutions. This is already clear to see in Guyana.
Finally, in response to the testimony emerging from the Simels trial, the AFC decided it would not attend parliament last Thursday. Former minister Ms Gail Texeira during a lop-sided panel discussion aired on NCN TV over the weekend remarked that the AFC is an outgrowth of the PNC. This was immediately followed by an accusation from Dr Roger Luncheon that the AFC is attempting to provoke violent demonstrations by engaging in “extra-parliamentary” activities.
This was a desperate attempt to discredit the AFC by using the threat of violence and linking it to that violence. The fact is that the AFC has succeeded in drawing moderate supporters from both the PNC and PPP.
The bulk of AFC membership and support, however, come from Guyanese not affiliated with either of these two parties but sufficiently disgusted with the way in which they have allowed their political rivalry to take precedence over national development.
Both the PPP and the PNC have engaged in and been associated with acts of violence in the past. The AFC has not.
Yours faithfully,
Dominic Gaskin
9 Comments (Open | Close)
9 Comments To "It is never ‘okay’ for governments to act illegally"
#1 Comment By gap1 On August 4, 2009 @ 7:12 am
AFC attracts bright, independent-minded Guyanese who have the ability to use their own minds and draw their own conclusions, who are guided by qa sense of fairness and justice and who love their country, enough to even be critical of the AFC as indeed they have been when criticism was merited.
PPP and PNC gets the party hacks who it seems forever, would have to keep defending their party’s wrong-doings which has been getting more and more difficult to do while maintaining any semblance of decency and credibility.
Good luck for Guyana, more and more Guyanese are getting tired of the same of old party-line. The future of Guyana lies with the AFC.
#2 Comment By bull$%^& detector On August 4, 2009 @ 7:50 am
It was a civil war …the police and army could not be trusted. A legitimately elected government was under siege by a politically backed force of criminals calling themselves freedom fighters. They had no other choice. Maybe some innocent people died on both sides but that is what happens in wars. Maybe the wrong kinds of people were hired to do the killings on both sides. There are no innocent parties here.
Now everyone get over it. This is not a part of Guyana’s history anyone can be proud of but I don’t feel putting this government on trial for this is helpful.
#3 Comment By Reddy in Barabdos On August 4, 2009 @ 8:53 am
Let’s get real here. The AFC didn’t garner votes from the PNC in last election ? Who are we trying to fool here, Mr. Gaskin ?
The “Witness” in the so called revelations ? Wasn’t he chaged with fraud in Guyana and will now live his days happilly ever at the expense of the US taxpayers for turncoat “singing” at the hearing ?
#4 Comment By coolieman On August 4, 2009 @ 10:22 am
The AFC Trotman was with the PNC during the crime wave and there were allegations that the PNC were supporting the FREE-DUMB fighters, being that Trotman is the leader of the AFC it is not fair to disassociate the AFC from acts of violence.
#5 Comment By amen-ra [jackass seh de world na level] On August 4, 2009 @ 10:51 am
what civil war you talking about, it was the criminal fighting for their drug turf, and the govt got in and helped the criminals by giving them free range to do whatever they wanted to do.
#6 Comment By gap1 On August 4, 2009 @ 11:42 am
You left out Ramjattan from the PPP and Holder from the WPA. Seems like the rest of us, just plain ol’ fed up with racial politics…
#7 Comment By bull$%^& detector On August 4, 2009 @ 12:13 pm
19 policemen shot dead…in hit jobs…an attempt to assassinate the cabinet after the PPP meeting in Berbice. The video of the Freedom Fighter addressing the nation like Osama bin Laden…the attacks on neighboring villages to Buxton killing people randomly only because they were Indian. Need i go on? This was a civil war and the government engaged a drug dealer to fight for them because they could not trust the police and army. Was it right? War ain’t pretty. And i think we just need to leave it alone. Lets go after the government for other things -corruption, incompetence etc – but not
for this.
#8 Comment By Gerhard On August 4, 2009 @ 12:23 pm
Labelling by association – how puerile. Trotman while in the PNC called for the PNC to apologise for the past in an effort toward healing and reconciliation. How conveniently you forget this coolieman.
While I was still active in the PPP Raph never ‘passed me straight’, nor did he ever have an unkind word to say. For us, younger politicians, we have time on our side to prove that we have remained true to our principles regardless of where we came from.
The AFC has unequivocally condemned ALL the killings in Guyana. Here is how we would have done things differently: [1]
For those of us with short memories, Ramjattan while in the PPP, called for deep and urgent reform of the disciplined forces and for this (which he had put in writing) he was censured by Freedom House in 1993. His prophetic words fell on deaf ears.
The AFC is keenly aware of the security issues in Guyana and is the only party with a plan.
Who, coolieman, was the party in power for 17 years that has done little to ameliorate the security situation in Guyana? You mean the PNC is still to blame for this? Isn’t it a convenient truth to those in power that when there is violence inflicted on their supporters that they emotionally come running to the Cup? Who continues to exploit this?!
#9 Comment By pepie On August 4, 2009 @ 12:56 pm
Coolieman why know mention of where Ramjattan was during the the crime period before the AFC was formed. Moderate do you see the coded post. This is what has Guyana in this position. So much can be say about the top three position in the AFC but coolieman choose only to attacked Raphael. This is the same reason why Roger took advantage of our divided society.
Article printed from Stabroek News: http://www.stabroeknews.com
URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/letters/08/04/it-is-never-%e2%80%98okay%e2%80%99-for-governments-to-act-illegally/
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The PPP is accustoming its followers to see it as an amoral party
The PPP is accustoming its followers to see it as an amoral party
Posted By Stabroek staff On July 28, 2009 @ 5:08 am In Letters | 9 Comments
Dear Editor,
Why are some in the government calling upon themselves the forces of retribution that are certain to follow the long list of disgrace?
It is possible that the government does not understand the power of the image it has unleashed against itself. We refer to the picture of Troy Small trembling after a beating by his kith and kin in some branch of the joint forces. These torturers are so far unidentified and may remain so. But doubtless, from Dr Luncheon’s beard, will emerge a phrase like his famous “phantom” squad to define them.
The Troy Small case suggests that the PPP, contrary to what is being suggested in some quarters, did not burn the Ministry of Health itself. But that the authorities in some form or at some level were sufficiently enraged by the fire that they apparently gave carte blanche to the investigative/repressive organs to do what they have been doing at the behest of politicians for a long time. Beating and brutalising. This is the species of crime-stopper whose excesses contributed to a tide of violence some few years ago.
Certainly the creators of our present reality, the PPP government, fully understands how the PNC, in its time, unleashed against itself some of the very forces that contributed to its destruction. For it is possible to view the ouster of the PNC, not only as the fatality of this virus of racist ignorance we carry, but also as a result of the turning upon itself of a series of destructive and powerful images, taken from reality or imagined, that it had itself fashioned. These images would bring in their trail and their aura the dark chaos and confusion that beclouds, like a curse, everything the party did or tried to do from the later seventies until the death of Mr Burnham and its final dispossession.
Consider that the beating up of protestors and arrest of picketers, the stabbing to death of the priest, the blowing up of Walter Rodney, the public execution of Ohene Koama and others, the gassing of workers in Linden… was the imagery that the previous government imprinted on the public consciousness.
The PNC party finally and fully understood that decent Guyanese of all ages, races and socio-economic conditions, of every political allegiance, would find horrifying as well as profoundly alienating, the images of men beaten, stabbed, blown up, gunned down, battered to a pulp then dragged before the courts. So the images came, at one time, to dominate public perception of the PNC, sweeping away and submerging the positives it had done. Turning against their creator.
The PPP is making its own chap-book of horror stories, cautionary tales, crime thrillers and these terrible images of its degeneracy. It had learnt, one would have hoped, from reaction to the phantom squad murders that some one of its highly placed phantoms supervised. But it is quoted saying that roughing up is okay, that the lockups at Brickdam is what we deserve, that it is concerned only with victim’s rights.
And since it will never cease to see itself as victim (of international imperialism, the X 13 plan, and all the other plots that haunt it and drive its narrative), it will continue to insist on its rights to order beating up, death squad investigations that go nowhere, pulling of Sharma’s licence and Stabroek News ads and all the other bad things which victims are entitled to commit. Whereas the truth is that many of the so-called PPP victim-politicians were mostly running and hiding and seeking cover when the PNC’s fire raged. So we have, in the narrative, in some cases, only a strangely developed fantasy of victimhood.
One is therefore shaken when the real victims of the “dictatorship” speak out against the image of Troy Small. Rupert Roopnaraine, Andaiye, Karen De Souza, joined Alissa Trotz in condemning what has happened. One knows that decent Guyanese of all races, ages, social conditions and political allegiance will decry it, openly or silently. The PPP has set in motion the forces, mystical, social and political, international… that will bring an end to its time on the stage. We seldom know whence nemesis arises. The PPP needs urgently to dissociate itself from what has occurred and these other human rights abuses that disturb right-thinking people in our community.
It should understand that the people who were key to bringing change to the country were those people whose system of values were offended by the excesses of the past. There used to be a group called Movement Against Oppression that campaigned for better policing and less brutality. From that era, the late sixties, to now, Guyanese resistance to abusive authority has been constant, taking, among other forms, of an expressed disgust, an unexpressed scorn. And in an extreme, the desperation of an armed resistance and anti-police hatred we remember from this very decade.
That the PPP is accustoming its followers to see it as an amoral party whose conscience is deadened is bad enough. Its followers deserve more, as PNC followers deserved better in their time. It doesn’t matter what percentage of the vote it wins, it will continue to lose its moral authority and will end up being an imposition as repulsive as those it has derided in the past.
One is increasingly impatient at the usual imbecile chorus that will doubtless defend what has happened. But Jagdeo ought to call for a real investigation and punish the guilty. Otherwise his period in office will be marked with another disgrace that he could have avoided.
Yours faithfully,
Abu Bakr
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Posted By Stabroek staff On July 28, 2009 @ 5:08 am In Letters | 9 Comments
Dear Editor,
Why are some in the government calling upon themselves the forces of retribution that are certain to follow the long list of disgrace?
It is possible that the government does not understand the power of the image it has unleashed against itself. We refer to the picture of Troy Small trembling after a beating by his kith and kin in some branch of the joint forces. These torturers are so far unidentified and may remain so. But doubtless, from Dr Luncheon’s beard, will emerge a phrase like his famous “phantom” squad to define them.
The Troy Small case suggests that the PPP, contrary to what is being suggested in some quarters, did not burn the Ministry of Health itself. But that the authorities in some form or at some level were sufficiently enraged by the fire that they apparently gave carte blanche to the investigative/repressive organs to do what they have been doing at the behest of politicians for a long time. Beating and brutalising. This is the species of crime-stopper whose excesses contributed to a tide of violence some few years ago.
Certainly the creators of our present reality, the PPP government, fully understands how the PNC, in its time, unleashed against itself some of the very forces that contributed to its destruction. For it is possible to view the ouster of the PNC, not only as the fatality of this virus of racist ignorance we carry, but also as a result of the turning upon itself of a series of destructive and powerful images, taken from reality or imagined, that it had itself fashioned. These images would bring in their trail and their aura the dark chaos and confusion that beclouds, like a curse, everything the party did or tried to do from the later seventies until the death of Mr Burnham and its final dispossession.
Consider that the beating up of protestors and arrest of picketers, the stabbing to death of the priest, the blowing up of Walter Rodney, the public execution of Ohene Koama and others, the gassing of workers in Linden… was the imagery that the previous government imprinted on the public consciousness.
The PNC party finally and fully understood that decent Guyanese of all ages, races and socio-economic conditions, of every political allegiance, would find horrifying as well as profoundly alienating, the images of men beaten, stabbed, blown up, gunned down, battered to a pulp then dragged before the courts. So the images came, at one time, to dominate public perception of the PNC, sweeping away and submerging the positives it had done. Turning against their creator.
The PPP is making its own chap-book of horror stories, cautionary tales, crime thrillers and these terrible images of its degeneracy. It had learnt, one would have hoped, from reaction to the phantom squad murders that some one of its highly placed phantoms supervised. But it is quoted saying that roughing up is okay, that the lockups at Brickdam is what we deserve, that it is concerned only with victim’s rights.
And since it will never cease to see itself as victim (of international imperialism, the X 13 plan, and all the other plots that haunt it and drive its narrative), it will continue to insist on its rights to order beating up, death squad investigations that go nowhere, pulling of Sharma’s licence and Stabroek News ads and all the other bad things which victims are entitled to commit. Whereas the truth is that many of the so-called PPP victim-politicians were mostly running and hiding and seeking cover when the PNC’s fire raged. So we have, in the narrative, in some cases, only a strangely developed fantasy of victimhood.
One is therefore shaken when the real victims of the “dictatorship” speak out against the image of Troy Small. Rupert Roopnaraine, Andaiye, Karen De Souza, joined Alissa Trotz in condemning what has happened. One knows that decent Guyanese of all races, ages, social conditions and political allegiance will decry it, openly or silently. The PPP has set in motion the forces, mystical, social and political, international… that will bring an end to its time on the stage. We seldom know whence nemesis arises. The PPP needs urgently to dissociate itself from what has occurred and these other human rights abuses that disturb right-thinking people in our community.
It should understand that the people who were key to bringing change to the country were those people whose system of values were offended by the excesses of the past. There used to be a group called Movement Against Oppression that campaigned for better policing and less brutality. From that era, the late sixties, to now, Guyanese resistance to abusive authority has been constant, taking, among other forms, of an expressed disgust, an unexpressed scorn. And in an extreme, the desperation of an armed resistance and anti-police hatred we remember from this very decade.
That the PPP is accustoming its followers to see it as an amoral party whose conscience is deadened is bad enough. Its followers deserve more, as PNC followers deserved better in their time. It doesn’t matter what percentage of the vote it wins, it will continue to lose its moral authority and will end up being an imposition as repulsive as those it has derided in the past.
One is increasingly impatient at the usual imbecile chorus that will doubtless defend what has happened. But Jagdeo ought to call for a real investigation and punish the guilty. Otherwise his period in office will be marked with another disgrace that he could have avoided.
Yours faithfully,
Abu Bakr
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Arson then and now
Arson then and now
Posted By Stabroek staff On July 26, 2009 @ 5:04 am In Letters | 11 Comments
Dear Editor,
The media reports of the gruesome and barbarous treatment meted out to Mr Troy Small who, it seems, had come under suspicion of burning down the Ministry of Health, have prompted me to make the following observation.
In the early hours of the morning of July 11, 1979, I, along with a number of other WPA leaders and associates, including Walter Rodney, Omawale, and Kwame Apata, were arrested on suspicion of burning down the Office of the General Secretary of the PNC and Ministry of National Development. Over the next day or two, the list of those arrested expanded to include Bonita Harris, Karen DeSouza, Maurice Odle and Davo Nandlall. That morning I was taken to Eve Leary and held in the Operations Room of the Crime Prevention Unit, popularly known as the Death Squad. I remained there for 3 days and was interrogated on two occasions. Apart from the discomfort of being handcuffed behind my back for a night, I suffered no physical abuse. The other comrades who were held at other police stations around the country experienced no physical abuse. Three days later, in response to writs of habeas corpus, we were placed before the Magistrate’s Court where Walter, Omawale and I were charged with arson and released on bail.
Mr Troy Small’s misfortune is that he came under suspicion of having committed the crime of arson not in the dark night of dictatorship but in the bright noon of democracy.
Yours faithfully,
Rupert Roopnaraine
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Posted By Stabroek staff On July 26, 2009 @ 5:04 am In Letters | 11 Comments
Dear Editor,
The media reports of the gruesome and barbarous treatment meted out to Mr Troy Small who, it seems, had come under suspicion of burning down the Ministry of Health, have prompted me to make the following observation.
In the early hours of the morning of July 11, 1979, I, along with a number of other WPA leaders and associates, including Walter Rodney, Omawale, and Kwame Apata, were arrested on suspicion of burning down the Office of the General Secretary of the PNC and Ministry of National Development. Over the next day or two, the list of those arrested expanded to include Bonita Harris, Karen DeSouza, Maurice Odle and Davo Nandlall. That morning I was taken to Eve Leary and held in the Operations Room of the Crime Prevention Unit, popularly known as the Death Squad. I remained there for 3 days and was interrogated on two occasions. Apart from the discomfort of being handcuffed behind my back for a night, I suffered no physical abuse. The other comrades who were held at other police stations around the country experienced no physical abuse. Three days later, in response to writs of habeas corpus, we were placed before the Magistrate’s Court where Walter, Omawale and I were charged with arson and released on bail.
Mr Troy Small’s misfortune is that he came under suspicion of having committed the crime of arson not in the dark night of dictatorship but in the bright noon of democracy.
Yours faithfully,
Rupert Roopnaraine
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11 Comments To "Arson then and now"
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Monday, July 27, 2009
Hypocrisy?
Hypocrisy?
Posted By Stabroek staff On July 26, 2009 @ 5:01 am In Editorial | 11 Comments
Events in the Co-operative Republic are taking a sinister turn. If it wasn’t bad enough that the Ministry of Health was destroyed by arsonists, we now have the mysterious death of David Leander, called ‘Biscuit’ in a public hospital, and the torture of Mr Troy Small by a group of persons unknown, one of whom he alleges, was in GDF uniform. And this, it has been reported, was because the torturers seemed to think that Mr Small was in some way connected to the Ministry of Health fire. From the video footage shown on the local newscasts, his injuries looked horrendous, and even the most uninformed citizen would have no difficulty in concluding that he should have been admitted to hospital. But at this point Mr Small won’t go to the Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment because, this newspaper was told, he is afraid. And why shouldn’t he be, considering what has happened to him and given that there are unanswered questions surrounding Mr Leander’s death – and, it might be added, the earlier one of phantom squad member, Mr Mark Thomas, also in the GPH.
In fact, Mr Small is even nervous about seeking in-patient treatment at a private hospital. That too is understandable, since which institution public or private could guarantee his safety in these times? He has now reached the stage where he is afraid to speak further to the media, and what this newspaper learned had to be gleaned from a relative. It is testimony to the extent of the decline in the rule of law that those charged with protecting us not only lack the capacity to do so, but harbour some among their ranks who themselves constitute a real danger to citizens’ safety.
In this particular instance, the police have said they had nothing to do with dragging Mr Small while he was half out of a vehicle, and beating him in an attempt to extract a ‘confession.’ The finger, it seems, has again been pointed at the army. If the GDF was indeed in any way connected with this torture, it would not be the first time, since there have been allegations previously involving the torture of their own ranks as well as of civilians.
The first thing, therefore, that the government has to clarify is exactly who was involved in the torture of Mr Small. Was it only members of the army, and if so, how come they took it upon themselves to arrest a citizen in the course of an investigation when they have no powers to do so? If only one (or some) member (or members) of the army was present, then who were the other men dressed in mufti? Were they plain clothes ranks from the police force? If they were, it would legitimize the apprehension of Mr Small, but certainly not his treatment. And if there were persons there who were not from the military or the police, just who were they? Are we back to private forces operating outside the law? The identity of Mr Small’s torturers, among other things, is a matter of immediate concern to the citizenry, and if the government seeks to restore any of its credibility, it needs to ensure that the public receives answers and that appropriate action is taken thereafter.
The identity of the torturers should also be a matter of immediate concern to the hierarchy of the GDF, since it is hard to imagine that the senior officer corps could possibly condone torture committed by any of their personnel. If they do not, but it turns out that in defiance of orders there are men under their command who are guilty of it, then it suggests they might not be fully in control of the force. If they are fully in control, then they should investigate these allegations right away. If, however, there are persons at work inside the military who are answering to elements outside the military, then Commander Best and his team have a problem, and so does the public in general. A fragmented army is one which ultimately will not be subject to central control, with all that that implies. And an army which becomes associated with torture at the very least will lose respect, will suffer a decline in morale and will be ill-equipped to do the job it is supposed to do.
Unfortunately the government has a very poor record in terms of addressing the nation’s questions about gross violations of this kind. The President routinely at press conferences when this subject is raised harangues the independent media on their obsession with the rights of criminals, rather than the rights of victims. Never mind that his remarks leave him open to a charge of disinterest in how suspects are treated by law enforcement, which could be misinterpreted by some members of the agencies concerned to mean an implicit sanction for maltreatment.
And the matter has not been handled any better by other ministers. In instances where both army personnel and civilians were the victims of torture at the hands of the GDF, government spokesmen have simply refused to acknowledge that the cases had substance. Minister Robert Persaud on the strength of an internal defence force report on the army ranks who were tortured in the course of an investigation into missing weapons, got up in Parliament and talked glibly about ‘roughing up,’ not torture. It was a disgraceful performance for a minister in a democratic state, not to mention the fact that no one satisfactorily explained to the public what the Minister of Agriculture was doing speaking for the government on security matters. Exactly when was his agriculture portfolio, one might ask, expanded to encompass the Guyana Defence Force?
The government has given the impression – perhaps unintentionally – that they believe thorough investigations may have to involve extra-legal interrogation methods. If they do not, now is the time to make their position clear. Human rights issues aside, it is acknowledged by experts in the Western world that torture is a most ineffective method of obtaining accurate information, and if that is true everywhere else, why on earth is the administration appearing to hang on to outdated assumptions? The Ministry of Health fire must be thoroughly investigated, but if the only method of inquiry law enforcement has at its disposal is torture, then the likelihood of the arson being solved is remote. Furthermore, it would just indicate that there is little willingness on the part of the authorities to do what is necessary to make law enforcement truly effective in confronting crime.
Needless to say, there has been no official investigation into the earlier civilian cases involving torture, including that of Mr Leander himself, who was beaten so badly – allegedly by the police in that instance – that he could not walk into court. The least that can be said is that it is extraordinary that the party now in office, which came through the Burnham years, seems not to have a grasp of what constitutes a violation of human rights, what constitutes torture, and what is required of a government in a democracy. How is it possible that things which were unacceptable to the PPP under the PNC, are perfectly acceptable now that they are in office? Just what is going on?
It is not as if they have not been voluble on the topic of mistreatment and torture in other places. Go through the back issues of the Mirror and there will be endless column inches on the Pinochet regime and its torturing ways in Chile as well as those of right-wing military governments elsewhere, and even more recently, on US treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo. This latter example, it might be noted, was given space in the late Mrs Jagan’s weekly columns on more than one occasion. So here we have a total disconnect requiring some kind of psychological explanation: why can the governing party recognize torture when it occurs outside our borders, but cannot recognize it within? Is this a case of some strange dissociative disease, or is it something more familiar? Is it, after all, just old-fashioned hypocrisy?
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Posted By Stabroek staff On July 26, 2009 @ 5:01 am In Editorial | 11 Comments
Events in the Co-operative Republic are taking a sinister turn. If it wasn’t bad enough that the Ministry of Health was destroyed by arsonists, we now have the mysterious death of David Leander, called ‘Biscuit’ in a public hospital, and the torture of Mr Troy Small by a group of persons unknown, one of whom he alleges, was in GDF uniform. And this, it has been reported, was because the torturers seemed to think that Mr Small was in some way connected to the Ministry of Health fire. From the video footage shown on the local newscasts, his injuries looked horrendous, and even the most uninformed citizen would have no difficulty in concluding that he should have been admitted to hospital. But at this point Mr Small won’t go to the Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment because, this newspaper was told, he is afraid. And why shouldn’t he be, considering what has happened to him and given that there are unanswered questions surrounding Mr Leander’s death – and, it might be added, the earlier one of phantom squad member, Mr Mark Thomas, also in the GPH.
In fact, Mr Small is even nervous about seeking in-patient treatment at a private hospital. That too is understandable, since which institution public or private could guarantee his safety in these times? He has now reached the stage where he is afraid to speak further to the media, and what this newspaper learned had to be gleaned from a relative. It is testimony to the extent of the decline in the rule of law that those charged with protecting us not only lack the capacity to do so, but harbour some among their ranks who themselves constitute a real danger to citizens’ safety.
In this particular instance, the police have said they had nothing to do with dragging Mr Small while he was half out of a vehicle, and beating him in an attempt to extract a ‘confession.’ The finger, it seems, has again been pointed at the army. If the GDF was indeed in any way connected with this torture, it would not be the first time, since there have been allegations previously involving the torture of their own ranks as well as of civilians.
The first thing, therefore, that the government has to clarify is exactly who was involved in the torture of Mr Small. Was it only members of the army, and if so, how come they took it upon themselves to arrest a citizen in the course of an investigation when they have no powers to do so? If only one (or some) member (or members) of the army was present, then who were the other men dressed in mufti? Were they plain clothes ranks from the police force? If they were, it would legitimize the apprehension of Mr Small, but certainly not his treatment. And if there were persons there who were not from the military or the police, just who were they? Are we back to private forces operating outside the law? The identity of Mr Small’s torturers, among other things, is a matter of immediate concern to the citizenry, and if the government seeks to restore any of its credibility, it needs to ensure that the public receives answers and that appropriate action is taken thereafter.
The identity of the torturers should also be a matter of immediate concern to the hierarchy of the GDF, since it is hard to imagine that the senior officer corps could possibly condone torture committed by any of their personnel. If they do not, but it turns out that in defiance of orders there are men under their command who are guilty of it, then it suggests they might not be fully in control of the force. If they are fully in control, then they should investigate these allegations right away. If, however, there are persons at work inside the military who are answering to elements outside the military, then Commander Best and his team have a problem, and so does the public in general. A fragmented army is one which ultimately will not be subject to central control, with all that that implies. And an army which becomes associated with torture at the very least will lose respect, will suffer a decline in morale and will be ill-equipped to do the job it is supposed to do.
Unfortunately the government has a very poor record in terms of addressing the nation’s questions about gross violations of this kind. The President routinely at press conferences when this subject is raised harangues the independent media on their obsession with the rights of criminals, rather than the rights of victims. Never mind that his remarks leave him open to a charge of disinterest in how suspects are treated by law enforcement, which could be misinterpreted by some members of the agencies concerned to mean an implicit sanction for maltreatment.
And the matter has not been handled any better by other ministers. In instances where both army personnel and civilians were the victims of torture at the hands of the GDF, government spokesmen have simply refused to acknowledge that the cases had substance. Minister Robert Persaud on the strength of an internal defence force report on the army ranks who were tortured in the course of an investigation into missing weapons, got up in Parliament and talked glibly about ‘roughing up,’ not torture. It was a disgraceful performance for a minister in a democratic state, not to mention the fact that no one satisfactorily explained to the public what the Minister of Agriculture was doing speaking for the government on security matters. Exactly when was his agriculture portfolio, one might ask, expanded to encompass the Guyana Defence Force?
The government has given the impression – perhaps unintentionally – that they believe thorough investigations may have to involve extra-legal interrogation methods. If they do not, now is the time to make their position clear. Human rights issues aside, it is acknowledged by experts in the Western world that torture is a most ineffective method of obtaining accurate information, and if that is true everywhere else, why on earth is the administration appearing to hang on to outdated assumptions? The Ministry of Health fire must be thoroughly investigated, but if the only method of inquiry law enforcement has at its disposal is torture, then the likelihood of the arson being solved is remote. Furthermore, it would just indicate that there is little willingness on the part of the authorities to do what is necessary to make law enforcement truly effective in confronting crime.
Needless to say, there has been no official investigation into the earlier civilian cases involving torture, including that of Mr Leander himself, who was beaten so badly – allegedly by the police in that instance – that he could not walk into court. The least that can be said is that it is extraordinary that the party now in office, which came through the Burnham years, seems not to have a grasp of what constitutes a violation of human rights, what constitutes torture, and what is required of a government in a democracy. How is it possible that things which were unacceptable to the PPP under the PNC, are perfectly acceptable now that they are in office? Just what is going on?
It is not as if they have not been voluble on the topic of mistreatment and torture in other places. Go through the back issues of the Mirror and there will be endless column inches on the Pinochet regime and its torturing ways in Chile as well as those of right-wing military governments elsewhere, and even more recently, on US treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo. This latter example, it might be noted, was given space in the late Mrs Jagan’s weekly columns on more than one occasion. So here we have a total disconnect requiring some kind of psychological explanation: why can the governing party recognize torture when it occurs outside our borders, but cannot recognize it within? Is this a case of some strange dissociative disease, or is it something more familiar? Is it, after all, just old-fashioned hypocrisy?
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Torture, plain and simple
Torture, plain and simple
Posted By Stabroek staff On July 27, 2009 @ 5:01 am In Editorial | 6 Comments
There is a familiar theme to the story as told by Mr Troy Small who was “questioned” in relation to the Ministry of Health fire: rogue elements in the joint services, with or without official sanction, continue to run amok. The nexus with the joint services clearly begins with the handing over of the severely beaten Mr Small to the Alberttown Police Station. Some policeman there must have interfaced with the beaters and must be in a position to elucidate who they were or answer why he/she did not invite these persons to also enjoy the hospitality of the police station while it was determined whether or not they should be charged for the condition that Mr Small was found in.
The fact that the latter did not occur would suggest that whoever received Mr Small at Alberttown was fully satisfied that his handlers were “cleared” to do whatever they did and their behaviour was not to be examined. The occurrence book at the police station and the officer in charge at the time would be exceedingly useful in the investigation to come and the police should avail themselves fully to answer the questions that arise.
It may well be that the intelligence of the joint services was spot on and that there were helpful things that Mr Small could have told them about the Health Ministry fire. What was however completely repugnant were the methods that were used to interrogate him: brute force, ignorance and criminality. They amount to torture, plain and simple.
It is not as if this subject is an unfamiliar one to the state as we pointed out in yesterday’s editorial. There have been over the last three or four years multiple, credible complaints about members of the Joint Services engaged in the most mind-numbing brutality. Among the more credible accounts were those narrated by soldiers Michael Dunn, Alvin Wilson and Sharth Robertson. What made these even more chilling was that the acts were said to have been conducted within Camp Ayanganna, the headquarters of the Guyana Defence Force, by members of the Military Criminal Investigation Department who were reportedly responsive to directions from persons within the Office of the President. Despite the solemn promises by the state that these allegations would be properly investigated, reported on and the necessary disciplinary procedures meted out, the ensuing report was not edifying and the perpetrators were slapped on the wrist, if at all, apparently without their licence to brutalize being taken away.
Prior to this, a series of other allegations had been made by three East Coast men including David Leander aka `Biscuit’ who has since passed away in hospital in still unexplained circumstances. Two other men, Patrick Sumner and Victor Jones had alleged torture at the hands of the Joint Services over a three-day period along the highway. So cavalier was the response of the state to these allegations that a proper investigation is still to be done.
Even more damning were the allegations made by Edward Niles before he passed away after a beating at the prisons. As recently as May this year, two Lindeners alleged brutality while in the custody of the police and were able to display evidence of welts. They were subsequently charged but there has been no investigation of their torture complaints.
The elemental truth about these horrific cases is that the torture is being applied because the Joint Services remains incapable of carrying out incisive interrogations and credible investigations. So, the beaten confession remains the technique of choice and it was one of these which was ironically thrown out recently in the case against Mr Leander for the murder of Minister Sash Sawh and three others. And the more the torture is applied the less cooperative ordinary members of the public and snitches are leading to even more torture. When will this vicious circle be severed?
What the public must understand is that a blind eye to the torture of people, who some may believe are of little consequence to society, endangers each and every one of us in the seconds that tick by after the atrocity. The same rogues involved in the torture will quite easily be streamed and recruited to conduct their business in various directions as the evolution of the death squad showed. So, no one should believe that dastardly acts such as those committed on Mr Lewis and others cocoon them from crime and the infringement of their rights. They are less protected.
Aside from self-preservation, Guyana subscribes to a core of principles which were constructed out of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One of the principal treaties is the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Guyana made its inaugural submission to the Committee Against Torture after a 17-year delay and its submission was considered in November 2006. The Committee then issued its concluding observations in December of that year which addressed a range of issues including claims of torture.
The Committee expressed concern at the lack of statistics on cases of torture, the complaints tendered, convictions of perpetrators and compensation provided to victims of torture. It made the following recommendation: “The State party (Guyana) should provide in its next periodic report detailed statistical data, disaggregated by crime, ethnicity and gender, on complaints relating to torture and ill-treatment allegedly committed by law enforcement officials, and on the related investigations, prosecutions and criminal and disciplinary sanctions. Information is further requested on any measures taken to compensate and provide rehabilitation services for the victims”.
The second periodic report which should have contained Guyana’s response was due by December 31, 2008 but there has been no information on if this has been tendered. What is known, however, is that the government has failed to deliver to its populace the results of detailed investigations into the cases of torture and the sanctions that have been applied against those found guilty. It would seem that the government intends to pick and choose which of its international obligations it will adhere to and the Convention Against Torture is one that it appears determined to flout.
None of the declamations against torture offered by the Minister of Home Affairs or any other government official will amount to anything unless they address these complaints of torture frontally and have those guilty of these acts punished to the fullest extent of the law. Further, if the hierarchy of the police, the army and the prison service are intent on securing public opinion in their favour then they, too, must root out torture and prosecute torturers. Finally, there must be a recognition by both the ministry and the services that the reason for the almost reflexive fall back to torture on occasions such as the Health Ministry fire and the discovery of a gun in the prison is the corruption in the services and the inability to properly investigate and gather actionable intelligence. There must be a fundamental change in the outlook of the joint services for these deficiencies to be addressed. Until then Mr Small and all other citizens remain at risk.
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URL to article: http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/editorial/07/27/torture-plain-and-simple/
Posted By Stabroek staff On July 27, 2009 @ 5:01 am In Editorial | 6 Comments
There is a familiar theme to the story as told by Mr Troy Small who was “questioned” in relation to the Ministry of Health fire: rogue elements in the joint services, with or without official sanction, continue to run amok. The nexus with the joint services clearly begins with the handing over of the severely beaten Mr Small to the Alberttown Police Station. Some policeman there must have interfaced with the beaters and must be in a position to elucidate who they were or answer why he/she did not invite these persons to also enjoy the hospitality of the police station while it was determined whether or not they should be charged for the condition that Mr Small was found in.
The fact that the latter did not occur would suggest that whoever received Mr Small at Alberttown was fully satisfied that his handlers were “cleared” to do whatever they did and their behaviour was not to be examined. The occurrence book at the police station and the officer in charge at the time would be exceedingly useful in the investigation to come and the police should avail themselves fully to answer the questions that arise.
It may well be that the intelligence of the joint services was spot on and that there were helpful things that Mr Small could have told them about the Health Ministry fire. What was however completely repugnant were the methods that were used to interrogate him: brute force, ignorance and criminality. They amount to torture, plain and simple.
It is not as if this subject is an unfamiliar one to the state as we pointed out in yesterday’s editorial. There have been over the last three or four years multiple, credible complaints about members of the Joint Services engaged in the most mind-numbing brutality. Among the more credible accounts were those narrated by soldiers Michael Dunn, Alvin Wilson and Sharth Robertson. What made these even more chilling was that the acts were said to have been conducted within Camp Ayanganna, the headquarters of the Guyana Defence Force, by members of the Military Criminal Investigation Department who were reportedly responsive to directions from persons within the Office of the President. Despite the solemn promises by the state that these allegations would be properly investigated, reported on and the necessary disciplinary procedures meted out, the ensuing report was not edifying and the perpetrators were slapped on the wrist, if at all, apparently without their licence to brutalize being taken away.
Prior to this, a series of other allegations had been made by three East Coast men including David Leander aka `Biscuit’ who has since passed away in hospital in still unexplained circumstances. Two other men, Patrick Sumner and Victor Jones had alleged torture at the hands of the Joint Services over a three-day period along the highway. So cavalier was the response of the state to these allegations that a proper investigation is still to be done.
Even more damning were the allegations made by Edward Niles before he passed away after a beating at the prisons. As recently as May this year, two Lindeners alleged brutality while in the custody of the police and were able to display evidence of welts. They were subsequently charged but there has been no investigation of their torture complaints.
The elemental truth about these horrific cases is that the torture is being applied because the Joint Services remains incapable of carrying out incisive interrogations and credible investigations. So, the beaten confession remains the technique of choice and it was one of these which was ironically thrown out recently in the case against Mr Leander for the murder of Minister Sash Sawh and three others. And the more the torture is applied the less cooperative ordinary members of the public and snitches are leading to even more torture. When will this vicious circle be severed?
What the public must understand is that a blind eye to the torture of people, who some may believe are of little consequence to society, endangers each and every one of us in the seconds that tick by after the atrocity. The same rogues involved in the torture will quite easily be streamed and recruited to conduct their business in various directions as the evolution of the death squad showed. So, no one should believe that dastardly acts such as those committed on Mr Lewis and others cocoon them from crime and the infringement of their rights. They are less protected.
Aside from self-preservation, Guyana subscribes to a core of principles which were constructed out of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One of the principal treaties is the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Guyana made its inaugural submission to the Committee Against Torture after a 17-year delay and its submission was considered in November 2006. The Committee then issued its concluding observations in December of that year which addressed a range of issues including claims of torture.
The Committee expressed concern at the lack of statistics on cases of torture, the complaints tendered, convictions of perpetrators and compensation provided to victims of torture. It made the following recommendation: “The State party (Guyana) should provide in its next periodic report detailed statistical data, disaggregated by crime, ethnicity and gender, on complaints relating to torture and ill-treatment allegedly committed by law enforcement officials, and on the related investigations, prosecutions and criminal and disciplinary sanctions. Information is further requested on any measures taken to compensate and provide rehabilitation services for the victims”.
The second periodic report which should have contained Guyana’s response was due by December 31, 2008 but there has been no information on if this has been tendered. What is known, however, is that the government has failed to deliver to its populace the results of detailed investigations into the cases of torture and the sanctions that have been applied against those found guilty. It would seem that the government intends to pick and choose which of its international obligations it will adhere to and the Convention Against Torture is one that it appears determined to flout.
None of the declamations against torture offered by the Minister of Home Affairs or any other government official will amount to anything unless they address these complaints of torture frontally and have those guilty of these acts punished to the fullest extent of the law. Further, if the hierarchy of the police, the army and the prison service are intent on securing public opinion in their favour then they, too, must root out torture and prosecute torturers. Finally, there must be a recognition by both the ministry and the services that the reason for the almost reflexive fall back to torture on occasions such as the Health Ministry fire and the discovery of a gun in the prison is the corruption in the services and the inability to properly investigate and gather actionable intelligence. There must be a fundamental change in the outlook of the joint services for these deficiencies to be addressed. Until then Mr Small and all other citizens remain at risk.
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