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Suriname criticizes Guyana’s fight against piracy
Suriname has criticized Guyana on its fight against piracy, saying that more needs to be done.
According to De Ware Tijd online news yesterday, enough has not been done by Guyana over the past year, yet there are criticisms about piracy in Suriname waters.
According to Head of the National Guard, Lt. Col. Jerry Slijngard, speaking on one of the latest cases, where four fishermen from Guyana disappeared, it is likely that they were fishing illegally in Suriname.
“Pirates come from Guyana and are deliberately targeting their countrymen who illegally fish in Suriname, knowing that they cannot turn for help to the Surinamese authorities.”
The official believes that Guyana should follow Suriname in introducing GPS tracking systems to help protect fishermen while they are working at sea.
The Lieutenant-Colonel stressed that the current cooperation between the police forces of the two countries is insufficient to successfully combat the problem and bring changes.
“There must be cooperation, including exchange of information in order to intervene in time. But at all levels also politically and between the Coast Guard (there) should be more collaboration…”
There have been numerous cases of fishermen losing their lives, with some never found, following pirate attacks.
Guyana has cooperation agreements with Suriname also on tackling piracy, smuggling and cross-border crimes. It is not unknown for pirates to cross the Corentyne River after committing crimes.
Suriname has launched its own Coast Guard to help boost the fight against piracy.
In the latest incident, on July 8th, which has left several families in Guyana searching for closure and answers, three masked pirates attacked a boat, reportedly in Suriname waters, stripping the boat, and throwing the men overboard.
The captain, Feroze Hack, survived the horrific attack. He does not know anything about what happened to his crew members after the pirates drove their boat over them.
Those still missing are Vinesh Drunarine of Uitvlugt; Raymond Gomes and Chandrapaul Jallim of Recht-Door-Zee, West Bank Demerara.
Last Thursday, the body of 40-year-old Andrew Gopie washed up on the Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara foreshore, not far from where their boat drifted last Monday.
The boat is registered in Suriname and is operated by Guyanese Deochand Bharat and a Surinamese partner.
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