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‘One Guyana’ put to the test as Parliament yet to meet on MV Barima tragedy
Dear Editor,
Your editorial in Kaieteur News of 21 July noted inter alia:
‘This country and its citizens are in urgent need of a few miracles. To vanquish the darkness that hangs over Guyana and devastates it. … It would be an assault on the grief of those who try to cope with their loss for the usual big, solemn speeches from those who stand as monuments to the hypocrisies that torment Guyanese, then degrade them. On the other hand, Guyanese have become so accustomed to hypocrisies from the highest levels that they are now numbed beyond feeling. What is one more assault, one more instance of leadership cruelty, when there were so many before that the senses are stunned?’ (https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/2026/07/21/tragedy-compounded-by-travesty/).
Guyanese can cast their minds back to a different maritime horror: On 27 April and 5 May 2018 17 fishermen (16 Guyanese) were murdered at sea by other Guyanese in Suriname’s waters. The bodies of 12 fishermen were never recovered; 11 of them were Guyanese.
The Surinamese people and government understood what it is to do the right things.
On 4 May, ‘persons in Suriname took to the streets to march in honour of all the fishermen attacked at sea by pirates, and to call on authorities to do more for fishermen. The gathering saw addresses being delivered by religious leaders and members of civil society’ (https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/05/05/news/guyana/pirate-attack-survivor-recounts-harrowing-tale/). In addition, the Federation of Surinamese Farmers (FSA) [took] the initiative to organize a collection campaign to support the families and relatives of the missing fishermen (https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/05/04/news/guyana/fifth-pirate-attack-survivor-found-missing-fishers-body-identified/)
On 10 May the Surinamese Parliament was convened and passed unanimously a comprehensive motion calling on their government to investigate the most recent murders, compensate the victims, and ‘engage with the Guyanese authorities in order to facilitate administrative processes in Suriname to legalize Guyanese citizens who are currently residing illegally in Suriname. The government is also urged to bring the safety offshore Suriname to an acceptable level immediately in cooperation with the relevant agencies and to release the necessary funds for this … Leader of the coalition in parliament André Misiekaba (NDP) noticed that the recent attacks were not only “barbaric”, but should be qualified as “terrorism”’ (https://demerarawaves.com/2018/05/11/suriname-parliament-grills-govt-on-pirate-attacks-unanimously-passes-motion-in-favour-of-guyanese-fishermen/ ).
One day later a similar Motion, introduced by the Opposition, was also unanimously supported in Guyana’s National Assembly.
That was 2018. 8 years following the murder of 17 fishers in Suriname, the horrific tragedy off the mouth of the Pomeroon River has been the occasion for divisive rather than unifying actions. A new organization, the Association for Democracy and Human Rights (Guyana) Inc., announced its existence by using the occasion of the deaths of over 100 Guyanese in the MV Barima to attack the Leader of the Opposition (https://guyanachronicle.com/2026/07/20/human-rights-association-condemns-political-exploitation-of-mv-barima-tragedy/).
Our Parliament is yet to be convened. No days of national mourning have been announced.
Editor, nations (‘imagined communities’) are brought into being by visionary leaders, taking unifying actions. By that yardstick, our Guyanese nation is yet to be born. The leader promoting ‘One Guyana’ needs to demonstrate his leadership concretely.
Sincerely,
Janette Bulkan
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