Chronicle incites racial hostility – Bar Association

Jul 20, 2014 News

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…asks Pres. Ramotar to dissociate himself from publications

Following a call from Parliamentarian Joseph Harmon for citizens to reject the July 16, Editorial in the Chronicle Newspaper, the Guyana Bar Association said yesterday that the Information Minister, President Donald Ramotar, should dissociate himself from such a racist publication.
In a letter to the press the Bar Association said that if the President disagrees with these reprehensible views, he must quickly and publicly disassociate the Government and himself from them and should take disciplinary action against those responsible for the publications; to do otherwise would be an endorsement of those sentiments.
The letter stated that the apparatus of the State, including the “State Media, should not be used to promote racial hatred and this abuse should stop immediately”.
“The Guyana Bar Association as part of its mandate to promote the rule of law is compelled to point out that such publications are also unlawful. In the recent days a letter to the editor and an editorial published in the Guyana Chronicle appear to be inciting racial hatred and perpetuating a stereotype of young Guyanese of a particular ethnicity as criminals. We find this offensive, as racism in any form is reprehensible” the Bar Association said.
They highlighted a recent letter written by Ted King, “Blue Caps is new arm of PNC” appearing on July 15, 2014. The writer stated, inter alia: Check the stats on which ethnic crowd is doing the criminal acts; on which ethnic crowd, mostly. One section of the community works very hard and saves its money for a better future for self and family, but it appears that it is working to save the money for criminals, who just come in with guns and take it all.
“If you are not safe in your own home, then where else can you be safe? They see blood, they smell blood, and then they are moving in for the kill now, because they know they have the backing of the USA.
“It is too late now for the PPP to go after terrorists, because all the reports will reach the USA about extrajudicial killings and racism. PPP supporters will protest the best way they know how, and that is to continue to move out of Guyana with their loved ones. It is like how the whites in America riot: They just pack their traps and move, leaving it all to the criminal elements in their neighbourhoods, because if they defend themselves they are labeled racists”.
The Bar Association said that the letter was factually misguided in every respect and racist. On 16th July 2014, the editorial “Youth, Politics and criminality” covers similar territory, perhaps more political but equally racist. It was explained that under the Racial Hostility Act, Cap 23:01 provides in section 2(1):
“A person shall be guilty of an offence if he willfully excites or attempts to excite hostility or ill-will against any section of the public or against any person on the grounds of their or his race – by, (various public means) or by means of written (including printed) matter or pictorial matter published by him”.
This Act was amended in 2002 to provide for punishment on summary conviction of a fine of $500,000 and to imprisonment for seven years.
Section 2(4) also provides that the proprietor, printer, publisher or editor of any newspaper, or the printer of any other printed document, in which any particular matter has been published, shall be presumed himself to have so published that matter unless he proves that such publication was made without his authority, consent or knowledge and did not arise from want of due care on his part.
The right of all sections of the Guyanese people to be free from racial hatred is also enshrined in the Guyana Constitution which imbues the State with a responsibility to encourage people of all races to live in harmony and peace. This is set out in the preamble.
“Article 160(A) of the Constitution also provides that “All persons, institutions and political parties are prohibited from taking any action or advancing, disseminating or communicating any idea which may result in racial or ethnic division among the people”.
The Guyana Chronicle’s failure to prevent such letters from being published, as well as explicitly encouraging such statements in its editorial suggests a dangerous, unlawful and offensive state of affairs. This matter cannot be easily brushed aside, the Bar Association stated.
“At a time when our major political parties have an obligation to continue to reach beyond ethnic differences, these publications seek to empower the minority of Guyanese who practice racism and strengthen the latent racists among us.”
Member of Parliament Joseph Harmon on Thursday said that the editorial makes the false and slanderous claim that the Opposition encourages youth to engage in criminality rather than education.
He challenges the editorial board to produce proof of their assertion. He said that the editorial claimed that the LEAD programme only provides training to “the Opposition leaders and their youthful supporters” and ignores the much publicized fact that the PPP had rejected elements of the programme and voluntarily gave the programme its “feral” blast.
The Guyana Bar Association’s letter was signed by Attorneys at law, Ronald Burch- Smith, Melinda Janki, Sadie Amin, Christopher Ram, Timothy Jonas, Emily Dodson, Abiola Wong- Inniss, Ramona Rookhum, C.M. Llewellyn John, Mohamed Ali, Teni Housty, Robin Stoby SC, Dave Kissoon, Joseph Harmon, Keisha Chase, Kim Kyte- John, Mark Waldron, Moses Nagamootoo, Nadia Sagar, Rapheal , Roysdale Forde and Simone Morris Ramlall.

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