Army will not withdraw from Kaikan

Sep 20, 2019 News

The army says it is not prepared to withdraw from Kaikan, a Region Seven community.

The army says it will not withdraw troops from Kaikan, Region Seven

The army is responding to a recent commentary in another newspaper which claimed that the presence of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has been causing security and other social problems in the community.
However, the army insisted yesterday that it has a responsibility for security to the country and is prepared to investigate ranks who are misbehaving.
The army was responding to the commentary titled, “The Army and Kaikan” which was published on Sunday.
“The editorial referenced aspects of an internationally funded assessment of primarily land usage and titling issues for some 24 indigenous communities in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni). The assessment was conducted on behalf of the Amerindian People’s Association.”
According to the GDF, while an examination of the report produced from the assessment revealed that its primary purpose was to highlight, address and make recommendations regarding the land tenure situation of the indigenous communities, the authors of the report claim significant security and social problems as a result of the presence of security troops in the community of Kaikan.
“The Guyana Defence Force is constitutionally mandated to protect the territorial integrity of Guyana as well as provide security for its people. In this regard, the Force’s presence at Kaikan is legitimate.” However, the army said, notwithstanding the concerns of the community, the force must be allowed to carry out its remit.
“Irrespective of the communities within which our troops operate our values and standards remain the same. As such, all of our ranks are obligated under the law to subject themselves to good conduct. Misconduct by any member of the Guyana Defence Force is dealt with condignly.”
According to the GDF, it is committed to the safety of the people of Guyana and the defence of the country’s territorial integrity.
“The concerns raised in the report will be investigated thoroughly and efforts will be made to foster better relations with the residents of Kaikan. However, the Force will not surrender its constitutional responsibility nor abrogate its rights.”

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