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GTUC condemns growing state repression
…cites radio licences, withholding advertisements, silencing of voices
Government is practising repression of the fundamental rights and other constitutional freedom, the Guyana Trades Unions Congress (GTUC) yesterday charged.
Rights abused: Protestors and police on Thursday during the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Marriott Hotel.
The union was referring to Thursday’s clash between police and protestors shortly before the ribbon-cutting of the multi-billion-dollar Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
A number of former Parliamentarians were among several protesting their unhappiness over the hotel’s financing and Government plans to sell out the shares to a foreign investor.
Protestors who pushed past the many barriers erected by police and leading to the Kingston hotel, claimed that they were assaulted.
GTUC said that the police display confirms concerns that those whose job it is to serve and protect are being used to suppress and punish.
The union body said that the protestors were exercising the right to dissent, which is protected in the right to freedom of expression/speech. “GTUC also condemns the violation of universal gender principle in dealing with female protesters.”
The police, GTUC said, bear the responsibility to protect the right of dissenters equally as they protect the right of attendees to the ceremonial opening.
“Our police are either not trained to respect or have no regard for people. The society must register its protest against this primitive form of policing. Any society that claims respect for the right to freedom of speech must also protect and defend the inherent right to dissent.”
GTUC said that the incident at Marriott builds on Government’s growing obsession to silence dissent as seen recently in Linden, where those who protested at a PPP rally to draw attention to matters affecting them were hauled before the court for “insulting” remarks made to PPP speakers.
“Prior to this it was Courtney Crum-Ewing, who had earlier protested outside the Attorney General’s office and later hauled before the court, and unfortunately died in a hail of bullets while calling on persons not to vote for the incumbent.
“Earlier it was the Essequibo rice farmers in confrontation with the police, and one was stripped, while protesting their grievances.”
GTUC also recalled the January 2012 post-elections protests by the Opposition where persons were shot by the police, including former ranking members of the military, for bringing to the public’s attention their grievances.
“And in July 2012 three persons in Linden were shot dead and others injured by the police for staging public demonstration to make known their dissatisfaction with the treatment meted out to them on matters that impacted their wellbeing. Apart from moving to repress freedom of expression via traditional media as seen in the abuse of issuance in broadcasting licences and withholding of advertisements, the government is also moving to silence voices on the streets.” The union insisted that society must concern itself with this new low seen on Thursday at the hands of an “uncaring” and “ruthless” Government.
“We are our brothers and sisters’ keepers and under a tyrannical government all are involved, all are consumed. GTUC therefore calls on all- individuals and organisations- to register their disgust at the continued transgression of our fundamental rights and freedoms equally as we demand modernized community/policing relation to safeguard these sacred tenets.”
“Tourism attraction is much more than fancy hotels, built with foreign labour, using taxpayers’ money. A key feature of tourist attraction is the assurance of security for rights, freedoms, environment and crime protection and in these regard the government is found wanting ,” the union said.
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