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This unfettered power goes against the grain of democratic governance

May 22, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
Many of us who write about the atrocities of the Jagdeo government are constantly rebuffed and criticised by the supporters of this regime. The recent arrest of Minister Akbar Muhammad and Mr. Phillip Simon by the Guyana Police Force acting as agents of the Government of Guyana is a clear indication that Guyana is on the verge of or has already become a police state.
The high profile nature of this case given Minister Muhammad’s international stature only magnifies what passes for law enforcement and judicial overreach in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Two men come to Guyana to educate and empower young people, both of them have impeccable credentials, and with a little homework it could have been ascertained that they were not criminals or persons with criminal intentions. Yet they are arrested by the police on alleged charges of terrorism and drug trafficking.
Mr. Editor as your newspaper has reported, these gentlemen has since been freed. Make no mistake this incident has damaged the image of the entire country in the eyes of the World. I wish we could say that this was an innocent mistake or that this type of behaviour by members of our police force was not common place, but sadly the evidence does not support that. We have seen over the years many instances where citizens have been arrested by the police and incarcerated with little or no evidence or probable cause.
The PPP government has failed to safeguard individual rights and freedoms in Guyana and has at times used the police as an arm of the party to detain and question persons who the government perceive as enemies or just simply want to harass. This type of unfettered power is not only a human rights violation and a threat to our civil liberties but, goes against the grain of democratic governance; this is fascism.
Mr. Editor the word “police state” has been used in some quarters to describe what is happening in Guyana. This recent national embarrassment has placed what happens every day, to average citizens who lack the resources of Minister Muhammad, on full display for the entire World to see. It was clear from what was disclosed at the press conference held after these gentlemen were released that, this was a case of false imprisonment and police harassment.
The minister claims that he was constantly asked about his political contacts, what party he belonged to and to give the names of people who he knew. Then there was the CIA angle that was allegedly used by the police at the time of arrest. Was there any truth to this or was this just used by the arresting officers to get Mr. Muhammad, an American citizen to cooperate with them? Who were the two Caucasian men that were there at the time of the arrest? What agency of the Guyana government did they represent and if they were not government agents, then who were they? These are questions that have to be answered by the Jagdeo administration.
This type of behaviour by the government drives fear into the hearts of the citizens and potential visitors to our country. That one can be arrested and held without cause or right to habeas corpus (for 72 hours) is downright primitive and a human rights violation in most civilized nations of the World. When visitors to our nation who come in peace and are here to help our youth and positively interact with our citizenry, are rewarded with incarceration and defamation of character, then we have a problem.
Mr. Editor I hope that an apology to Minister Muhammad and Mr. Simon is forthcoming from the regime and the police. I hope that this incident will be properly investigated and the truth revealed. I hope that some good can come from this unfortunate incident that highlights the deficiencies in our criminal justice system, our common law and most of all the role of the police.
The Guyana police force is a vital arm in our public safety and our justice system. That we have not heard from the Minister of Home Affairs or the Office of the President (as yet) is unfortunate.
Mark Archer

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