Migration statistics on Caribbean countries are almost the same

Aug 16, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Few people will disagree with Mr. Leon Jameson Suseran’s observation that people are leaving Guyana (“More and more people are leaving these shores” KN August 3,) But my analysis shows they are also leaving from other countries as well. In the Caribbean, for example, data from the US Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, 2009 shows that the number of persons who obtained legal resident status in the US from Guyana, Jamaica , and Trinidad and Tobago were as follows:.

PERSONS OBTAINING LEGAL PERMANENT STATUS …: FISCAL YEAR 2000 TO 2009

Region,countryof birth    2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    2006    2007    2008    2009
Guyana            5,719    8,279    9,983    6,809    6351    9317    9552    5726    6823    6670
Jamaica            15,949    15322    14835    13347    14430    18345    24976    19375    18477    21783
TrinidadAnd        6635    6618    5738    4138    5384    6568    8854    6829    5937    6256
Tobago

Source: US Homeland Security: Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, 2009

In 2009 for example, the average number of persons per population leaving from each of these countries was about the same. Mr. Suseran advances several reasons why people have left Guyana. Maybe he is correct, but why the almost similar average numbers; Trinidad, for example is usually considered a developed country which provides free education for its students at the University of the West Indies. I feel the reasons are more complex than what is usually stated. I will be interested in the findings of a survey of those people who sought and are seeking permanent immigration status in the US from these three countries. I know what politically oriented analysts will say the results of those findings will be but I will be interested in what a scientific sample of the actual migrants will say. Does anyone know of such a survey research?
However, what I do not understand is the seemingly illogical positions taken by some analysts who write about these matters. On the one hand they use the fact that people have left and are leaving to show that corruption, poor governance, and other horrible conditions exist in Guyana because it was run by a dictator in the past and an elected dictatorship today. While on the other hand they criticise the people who ran away from these horrible conditions for leaving.
Also, the toleration of politicians and citizens of Georgetown for the loud noise and music, the garbage scattered everywhere, the rude and careless drivers, the constant violence, the lack of civility and courtesy in Georgetown, to cite a few, have forced me to plan moving to the interior since I love Guyana and do not want to leave; but, sometimes it just gets overbearing and I want to get out.
Peter Paul

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Allegations of arrest warrant for former judge

Dear Editor,
You have published a story without seeking confirmation of the person maliciously and intentionally maligned and defamed by your article.
I was involved in a minor accident in which I accidentally hit a bicycle which was lying on the road at Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara. The matter was reported to the Cove and John Police Station and the owner and I agreed on a settlement for the damage caused to the bicycle.
At the said police station, I was told by the police that the fitness for my vehicle and my driver’s licence had both expired. I was kept in custody for approximately three hours. Later, I was told by a police officer to return the following day. My car was kept in the custody of the police.
I did in fact attend the said police station on the following day where I met with the owner of the bicycle and paid him the agreed settlement in the presence of the police. After meeting with the Commander and having done certain things which he instructed me to do, I signed for my car keys, took my car and left the police station. At no time was I told by any police officer that criminal charges would be filed against me nor was I ever told to return to the police station or to any Court of law. I spent approximately three hours at the Cove and John Police Station the said day.
At all material times the police at Cove and John Police Station had my address and my telephone number. No summons or notice of intended prosecution was ever served on me.
It would appear that the charges were filed on Friday, 14th August, 2010 at Cove and John Police Station. I have no knowledge of same.
I was informed late on Saturday evening, 14th August, 2010 for the first time that I was charged with traffic offences by police officers of Cove and John Police Station.
Having served as an officer of the Court in Guyana for in excess of eight years, I would certainly have attended Court had I known I had criminal/traffic charges to answer.
These are the true facts particularly concerning the issue of the arrest warrant.
Jainarayan Singh
Barrister-at-law
Retired Judge of the High Court

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A fundamental unity of interests between Africans and Indians

Dear Editor,
In any multi-ethnic society, a democratic ruling party must attend to the needs and interests of all ethnic groups, with due process, equity, and justice.
This modus operandi, indeed, is fundamental to good governance, and not a measly response to race-ethnic insecurity problems. In fact, all governments administering with good governance must speak to this, that is, administrations must conspicuously take care of all groups equitably.
If we do not find favour with this governmental role, then we are unsupportive of good governance. In the spirit of good governance, the PPP/C must continue to demonstrate that its outcomes are for the advantage of all; and this willingness to illustrate impartiality is fundamentally linked to good governance, and unrelated to formulating a patronizing response to camouflage ethnic insecurity and conflict.
Clearly, in this country, some politicians, private media, and hate literati promote and power race-ethnic conflict and ethnic polarization. It seems to me that the masses are not willing players in the social construction and reconstruction of race-ethnic conflict. This group of politicians, private media, and hate literati pilots the major ethnic groups to accept as true that ethnic difference is a threat to their survival. And with regard to speaking to ethnic conflicts, Bowen argued that we generally use three mistaken assumptions: ethnic identities are static; ethnic identities drive people to hate and create instability and ethnic diversity produces ethnic violence.
On the contrary, the group of politicians, private media, and hate literati utilizes these flawed assumptions to construct race-ethnic conflict through use of the race card.
Rodney attested to the history of human rights experiences and the intermittent solidarity between Indians and Africans; a history that demonstrates a fundamental unity of their interests. This underlying unity exposes the importance Africans and Indians attached to their responsibility of dismantling the White planters’ legacy of race and human rights infractions under colonialism; as well as new responsibilities that they need to infuse vis-à-vis rebuking racial incitement.
This historical underlying unity between Africans and Indians shows intent to construct a national unity where all cultures coexist and are accepted; and where no culture is left behind. But inequality creates a huge problem for sustainable national unity, and is a critical ingredient for discriminatory practices. For this reason, it is incumbent on all governments in multi-ethnic societies to work toward reducing inequality.
Prem Misir

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Creating confusion among the opposition for the PPP’s benefit

Dear Editor,
The Alliance For Change (AFC) likes to say it is offering a new politics but the more one reads the more one reflexively frowns at it.
The founders of the AFC, Sheila Holder from the WPA, Raphael Trotman from the PNCR and Khemraj Ramjattan from the PPP did not display the decency to make a clean break from what they say is the bad politics and parties whose seats they remained in and squatted on in parliament.
They denounced their respective parties but still selfishly held on to the seats and drew pay as they bullied their way in what they claim is different and decent politicians. So far nothing here sets an example of decency for anyone to emulate.
In 2006 the AFC created the confusion which led to the opposition being forced to enter elections because the AFC refused to support a boycott until the voters’ lists were sanitized, only to find out later from GECOM that the lists were indeed padded by more than 100,000 voters.  Now with the 2011 elections around the corner the AFC is at it again stirring up confusion by sowing divisions in the opposition ranks and trying to provoke a brawl with the main opposition force, the PNCR. Now everyone’s eyes are being taken off the ball, which is the PPP.
As a parliamentary party the AFC condemns and speaks out against protest action, effectively undermining the opposition struggles.
The AFC is promoting a politics that deliberately sets out to create confusion in the opposition ranks for the PPP’s benefit. All the AFC does is attack the opposition and try to weaken its position and create confusion. It is not only the PNCR they go after, but the WPA and whomever else. Instead of an anti-PPP position the AFC position is anti-opposition. This suggests the party was deliberately formed to create divisions in the opposition ranks.
Tyrone Abraham

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