Hats off to the GPA

Jul 19, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I wish to commend the President of the Guyana Press Association, Denis Chabrol, and his organization on their recent protest action against the unwarranted ban of Capitol News Senior Reporter, Gordon Moseley from key state institutions.

I believe the action by the Press Association was timely and necessary, in order to demonstrate to the Administration that it will continue to be the prime guardians of free speech and press freedom in Guyana.

The action taken against Moseley may be intended to put reporters and the press agencies on notice, and to remind them that the current government will not tolerate any form of criticism they believe to be harsh or too descenting.

These kinds of bold attacks on private media, and press personalities are reflections of the core underpinnings of a regime entrenched in communistic values, principles and beliefs.

Their ultimate goal is to ensure that only the views of the rulers should dominate the local and international landscape, and that for any to attempt to assert otherwise or change the status quo, they are likely to face sever consequences.

Actions are, therefore, taken to ensure that those operating in the media circles are muzzled through fear campaigns which include singling out key agencies or personalities for public sanctioning, discipline or in some cases fatal treatments.

The point is to keep all others in a complete state of subjection to those wielding political power. Recent happenings in Puntin’s Russia and media personalities there provide a good illustration of this scenario.

In October 2006, renowned Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya, a harsh critic of Putin, was shot at close range; months earlier former Russian security agent, and Kremlin’s harsh critic, Alexander Litvinenko, died in London from radiation poisoning.

His death aroused a series of investigations ranging from Russia, the U.S and London. Then in 2007 there was the highly suspicious death of Ivan Safronova, military correspondent for Russia’s top daily newspaper.
He died after falling from a window in his fifth-story apartment building in Moscow.

The point is that these people had one thing in common: they were media operatives who were exposing the evils of their government who they harshly criticized.

While the Russian government continues to claim that it is not responsible for their deaths, governments and media around the world continue to watch them with suspicious eyes.

In fact, some were adamant in accusing the Putin government of orchestrating the deaths of these people and the investigations into the various deaths have not lost international interest.

So given the scenario presented, I which to caution the PPP/C government to refrain from taking these clearly repressive actions which are beginning to take on the “Putin Russian tone”.

The sanction of almost all the major private newscasts in the country does not speak well of a government which touts itself as a democratic one. It must therefore be mindful of the signal it is sending to Guyanese and the international community.

In a democratic society, the government must be cognizant of the fact that it will be harshly criticised and that such criticism is necessary to foster good governance, fairness and equity in the society.

The President is expected to, under extreme scrutiny in any democracy. I don’t believe President Jagdeo has been exposed to the harsh of the harshest critics yet. He must thank the local press for giving him an easy pass.

The Guyana Press Association must not be intimidated by these weak power driven actions but must stand as a united body to ensure that the local press does not become a tool of the government.
Lurlene Nestor