Latest update March 25th, 2025 7:08 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

UN Expert’s Minority Report seriously flawed

Jul 24, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
While I must congratulate The United Nations Expert on Minorities Gay McDougall on her recently released report on race relation in Guyana I would like to point out to the United Nations that in Guyana the population demographic is 43.5% Indian, 30.2% African, 16.7% Mixed, 9.2% Amerindians and 0.5% other, which the United Nations accepts.
However, in Guyana the mixed population is claimed to be represented by the African Guyanese Leadership. And, as such the African/Mixed population is 46.9%.
This means that the United Nations Expert on Minorities Gay McDougall Report (UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Independent Expert on Minority Issues, Gay McDougall: addendum – mission to Guyana (28 July to 1 August 2008), 27 February 2009, A/HRC/10/11/Add.2, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/49bfa6ec2.html [accessed 21 July 2009]) is seriously flawed as it treated African Guyanese as a minority. This is akin to treating one of the nine indigenous tribes as representative of all Amerindians.
The second point of contention is that Indian Guyanese, who represent a 43.5%, do not have a definitive majority of over 50%.
This means any political party doing the required groundwork can get elected. So to say that African Guyanese are left out of the political process is unwarranted.
The third point of contention is The United Nations has stipulated that African Guyanese have a majority in the police force and army.
This is correct. However, the UN has neglected to say that African Guyanese have a majority in the Civil Service, Educational establishment (I am sure that I do not have to point out the reason for this to the UN as the UN understand the importance of education in determining who gets which high paying jobs), health sector, Local Government (this is so evident that one African Guyanese has said that Local Government is an ‘African Thing’), judiciary, as well as the police force and army.
The fourth point of contention is that African Guyanese are economically disempowered. African Guyanese live primarily in the urban communities, while Indian Guyanese live in the rural communities. In the 43 years (since Guyana Independence in 1966) the majority of investment and infrastructure development has taken place in the urban communities leaving the rural communities cash starved. Yes, there may be a couple of pit latrines in Buxton but this is what the vast majority of rural communities utilise. In any event, the majority of African Guyanese have access to transportation (like cars, buses, boats) so they do have access to jobs in the big towns and cities.
There are too many fallacious viewpoints in the report to correct. For example, the report does not acknowledge that there is no large scale racial conflagration in Guyana. And, for the majority of the time ordinary Guyanese live in relative peace side by side.
I would like to allay the fears of the African Guyanese population about this letter. It is not an attack on African Guyanese.
I want what you want for yourselves. I want African Guyanese to live under a Government chosen from the people that African Guyanese currently choose to represent them. But, would I want to live under such a Government chosen from the current African Guyanese Leadership?
Sean Brignandan

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Groups, schedule announced for One Guyana 3×3 Quest

Groups, schedule announced for One Guyana 3×3 Quest

Mar 25, 2025

Kaieteur Sports- With just 11 days to go before Guyana welcomes 16 nations for the largest 3×3 basketball event ever hosted in the English-speaking Caribbean, excitement is building. The Guyana...
Read More
2025 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League Fixtures confirmed

2025 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League...

Mar 25, 2025

Virtual Meeting of Caribbean Boxing Promoters held, Guyana among six countries with interest

Virtual Meeting of Caribbean Boxing Promoters...

Mar 25, 2025

GBA AirBadminton Tournament spikes off with historic showing at St. Cuthbert’s Mission 

GBA AirBadminton Tournament spikes off with...

Mar 25, 2025

Briton John sets sights on another sweep with second leg win

Briton John sets sights on another sweep with...

Mar 25, 2025

Waramuri stuns Vreed-en-Hoop 7-1, as Bush Lot topple Ann’s Grove

Waramuri stuns Vreed-en-Hoop 7-1, as Bush Lot...

Mar 24, 2025

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]