Visa issuance and cancellation

Nov 09, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,

I wish to bring to the attention of the general public and especially those in government and the Joint Services about certain conditions for the issuance and cancellation of visas for Canada, USA and the UK.

If a person who commits inhumane acts on a civilian, that person and his family members can have their visas revoked or if applying for one, refused. This same rule also applies for sponsorship for Permanent Residence in these countries.

Not only the person who committed the actual inhumane act is guilty, but also those in the chain of command.

For instance, in the case of the torture of the 14-year-old child at the Leonora Police Station, the torturers, the Crime Chief, the Police Commissioner and the Minister of Home Affairs are jointly responsible for this torture.

Those in authority who sit by idly and ignore the torture can also be implicated, regardless if they took part in the actual commissioning of the crime.

Here is an extract from the Canadian Immigration Regulations when applying for a visa:

Have you or any member of your family ever:

In periods of either peace or war, ever been involved in the commission of a war crime or crime against humanity, such as: willful killing, torture, attacks upon, enslavement, starvation or other inhumane acts committed against civilians or prisoners of war; or deportation of civilians?

How many policemen and ministers can answer no to this question?

Note the words, torture, attacks upon, starvation and other inhumane acts.

Only recently a Rwandan national was charged in an Ontario, Canada court for inhumane acts against humanity committed in Rwanda in 1994. This case followed a previous one where another Rwandan man was sentenced in a Quebec Court a few weeks ago.

This writer has had his human rights violated in Guyana and an official complaint will be lodged soon at the various embassies and International Human Rights organisations.

I hope the embassies enforced the rules and regulations against violators of human rights in Guyana.

Balwant Persaud