Criminality on Tourists is totally unacceptable

Aug 23, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,

One of the major industries in Guyana will be tourism. Many of its aspects have to do with Amazonian trekking (trekking of the Amazon jungle), bird watching, mountainous jungle hikes, fresh water fishing, brown water beaches, natural health cures using natural salt water and our mineralized earth, etc, etc. Many deficiencies in Guyana as it relates to tourism are the lack of proper training schools for the tourism industry. The constant attack on various tourists within our country coupled with dishonest taxi drivers is very depressing.
We saw recently a British soldier who had returned to Guyana after 50 years to be part of Guyana’s Jubilee Celebrations. But a despicable and unpatriotic local citizen robbed him of important sentimental objects at the Stabroek market square. Another occasion was when four Caucasian tourists were enjoying the festivities at Durban Park and for some reason; our own local Guyanese were annoyed with them. The Guyanese had cursed and abused these individuals and almost threw them down the bleachers. Our people need to be trained to show respect, because as it is, we are losing our reputation as a people of hospitality.
Also, on Friday August 12th, we learned a Japanese trio were robbed of millions of dollars in an unmarked vehicle somewhere on the East Coast Sea Wall. Can these bandits understand what they’ve done to the psyche of these individuals? Can these bandits understand what they have done to our country? I have travelled to Japan and moved through all kinds of societies and I was amazed at how I was treated with total dignity and respect by total strangers who bowed when we were passing and were always kind and welcoming.
What has happened to our people since we commenced our experimentation with socialism in the 70s? Is Guyana on the throes of social decay and a disorientation of mentalities? Are we becoming a beastly nation without compassion for even tourists, who are here and are actually contributing to Guyana’s economy?
Our people need to learn and be educated, to help a tourist, to display generosity, to show love! To show that we are a mature, disciplined, hospitable people. I find it most painful in my soul and my heart for these Japanese people. I do believe we need serious adjustment to our laws! We need to have another set of laws for persons who commit criminal acts against these visitors. Tourism is expected to be a backbone of our economic structure. We need to safeguard it with much jealousy as a unique natural resource. So, in my opinion, anyone who touches a tourist without permission, 10 years imprisonment; anyone who uses violence against the tourist for the purpose of hurting them, 25 years imprisonment.
These are the kinds of legal enactments we need. Laws with claws! Laws with teeth that bite deep! And we must have the structure set in such a way that there will be no stone left unturned to capture the bandits who harm tourists.
Today, I, a patriotic citizen of this country who love his country immensely, I feel ashamed of our country. I feel greatly pained that we have nothing in place to help support our tourists.
Please Government of Guyana; please Guyana Tourism authority! Read the contents of this piece again and again and again…
Roshan Khan
CEO/Founder
RK’s Security Service

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