Govt. must tell us how it will stem the tide of crime

May 20, 2008 Letters

Dear Editor,
The brutal slaying of young Arjune Narine on Wednesday, 14 May, 2008 only serves to remind Guyanese how fragile and uncertain life has become in our country.

While I refuse to want to relive the 2002-2003 period of Guyana’s history, the spate of the heightened crime and brutality that now engulfs Guyana is constantly reminding me of this incomprehensible, cruel madness.
The period referred to above cannot be a time that any Guyanese should ever experience again, but it appears from all indications that the nation’s criminal enterprise is re-energized and reorganised to take us to an even more regrettable level. The recent massacres and the beheading of Kalamadeen should indicate the level of unbelievable cruelty we are forced to experience.

While some may, in foolish denial, thrust their heads in the sky and claim that all is well and that the PPP/C Administration is doing such a fabulous job in governing Guyana, the nation continues to be raped of its most valuable resources, the people. With hundreds of young men killed, kidnapped, or mysteriously disappeared during 2002-2003, the nation today is still bleeding from either remnants of this period or a new vicious wave of criminality.

Despite this fact, the Government and President seem either intransigent, inert, or incapable of effectively executing a plan to stem the criminal tide. In the wake of the second massacre, there was an agreed joint statement and plan of action, which was arrived at between the Government and stakeholders. Today, months after this action, Guyanese are still to see any change in the crime situation. We do know that ‘sick’ helicopters were bought to help in the fight, which seems bigger that the helicopters and is more in need of sober and sensible leadership and strategy.

The President and Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee must, as of necessity, urgently appraise the nation on meaningful steps to be taken to ensure that the current crime wave will be stymied. While we do not need to know the security intricacies of this plan of action, as citizens, we deserve to know that practical and realistic measures are taken to protect us.

It is time you provide us with a practical yardstick to measure your performance in this area. Guyanese cannot be assured of any reasonable security when the President states that he cannot do anything but to offer the support and encouragement of the security forces. Clearly, there is a lack of will power on the part of the President to deal with this situation.

What can the Government and President tell the parents and relatives of this young Arjune to assure them that his execution did not come at the hands of a phantom squad, but by raging gunmen?

How will they assure the larger Guyanese society that there is no paramilitary group operating in Guyana?
For too long the Government and President have dragged their feet on the issue of crime in Guyana, and this has resulted in an emboldened criminal society. Petty thieves were encouraged to take crash courses, and they graduated with honours so as to move on to the next level of criminality. As a consequence, middle-management criminals have saturated the crime market, bolstered by a fertile environment, due to the obvious lack of political will and Government’s inability or lack of urgency to stem the criminal tide. So, like the 2002-2003 days, various expert gangs have emerged with greater tenacity and gruesome intent; the drive-by shooters; the kidnappers; the massacre squad; the be-headers; the overseas-based Guyanese robbers/killers; the executioners for the known and “brand name” people; the murders of the poor; the drug dealers’ killing crews, and don’t forget the torturers etc.

Yes, it seems like producing criminals has replaced rice and sugar as Guyana’s main economic activity, and the Government must take all credit; its diversification project has clearly resulted in a major new national product.

Lurlene Nestor