This pirate attack will change relations with Suriname

May 06, 2018 Features / Columnists, News

---

By Leonard Gildarie

News broke this week of a major attack on fishing boats in Suriname by pirates. The attack was on four boats and sketchy information initially indicated that it was Guyanese pirates that carried out this abhorrent deed.
Based on the information that started to come from social media buzz, it became apparent very quickly that this attack was one of the worst and indeed, to confirm the worst fears, Guyanese fishermen may have died.
There were recurring reports that the attack was more than one of piracy. From reports, and Kaieteur News covered this, the feet of crewmen were tied to batteries and they were dumped overboard. Men were seen being beaten on the head with pieces of wood.
All this time, other crewmembers were ordered to transfer the catch into the boat of the attackers. They were beaten, chopped and thrown overboard afterwards.
This incident occurred about 40 miles away from the Paramaribo border, in a area that is closer to French Guiana.
The incident is a major one by any means. Three bodies have been found and recovered at the time of writing. Twelve more are missing. And they are all Guyanese.
Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, Keith George, has been meeting with families who travelled from Guyana to find out about their loved ones.
Fishing has been suspended in Suriname amid safety fears of more attacks.
In fact, this week, there was another attack with a captain killed. It is believed that the same pirates/killers were involved.
It will damage the current informal relations that Guyanese would have had for years now.
For those who have little knowledge, it is a fact that East Berbice especially thrived in the 1980s from our relations with Suriname. The borders between the two neighbours are a few miles apart.
For years now, an informal crossing has been in operation at Springlands, Corentyne.
Guyanese would jump on speedboats, and land on the Suriname side in just about 40 minutes or less. Trading and smuggling have been taking place on a large scale between the two countries for years.
When in the ‘80s, the restrictions on food items saw a demand for split peas, onions, corned mutton and beef and sardines, among other items, a brisk smuggling trade sprang up.
It flourished so much that many Berbicians capitalized.
These “businessmen” have all now migrated to other businesses, legitimate ones. Still, a number of them and their relatives are capitalizing on tax burdens that exist, to continue the smuggling.
It is way of life in Berbice. If you ever visit Springlands and Skeldon, the homes there will tell a tale. And it did not all come from rice planting or cash crops.
With regards to fishing, it is a fact that for years now, the close relations between the two neighbours and the unrestricted travel – where there is little pressure for passports – have led to a culture of Guyanese living there with little or no regularization. There are thousands of them, we have been told. They are speaking the local dialect.
So our fishermen have been going to Suriname over the years and working under the licences of vessels registered there. There have been little demands for passports or registration of the crew.
In effect, the authorities in Suriname had little idea of who was working the boats.
When the attack came, the process of identifying who was missing and the notification of the next of kin proved a major problem.
Ambassador George has noted that it was a major problem.
This incident, made worse by the decision to suspend fishing operations, is likely to spark a clampdown by Suriname authorities. They would want to know who is working in the country.
From all indications, the attack was a feud between fishermen from Guyana. A number of them have been living in Suriname for years now. It had all to do with fishing ground rights.
What is coming out now is also deeply worrying.
For years now, a few men from Berbice have been operating under the pretext of being legitimate fishers. However, when night comes, they come with deadly intentions, robbing and killing legitimate fishermen of their catch, boats and engines.
A number of the pirates have been using the waters to cross at will, lying low until the coast is clear. The actions are deadly in some cases.
The fact is that the police, other authorities and a number of residents in Berbice know who the culprits are. The fishermen also know.
The fact is that on the fishing waters, other activities like drugs, smuggling and illegal sales are being transacted.
The big question is what sparked this decision to kill. The intentions were clear. The fact is that these fishermen who are still missing and some now dead, have brothers, sisters, wives, children, and other loved ones. I am being told that a few of them are teenagers who are new in the business.
Nobody wants to know that their loved ones have disappeared and that we can’t bring closure.
We replay the moments in our minds and it is brutal. The fact is that a few bodies will never be found. Families will continue to grieve. As a country, we have to lend support.
Be it in mining, fishing, road accidents, we have been losing too many, too fast.
We can ill-afford to lose our most precious of resources in this manner.
The supporting mechanisms by Government must be developed to lend support. Whether it is counseling, air tickets, assistance with funeral arrangements, bringing back a body home or public statements.
We are moving to another level with oil. Our sense of maturity has to go hand-in-hand with ensuring that the rights of our people are protected at all costs. We must get the best deals for our resources. We must insist on these things. We are speaking about our legacy; our patrimony.

---

---