By Peter Richards
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC - It takes at least half an hour from the capital to reach Buxton, one of the East Coast Demerara villages in Guyana.
It is even closer from Buxton to Lusignan, where black and grey flags adorn the light poles in memory of the 11 people, including five children, slaughtered by gunmen during the early hours of January 26 this year. On Thursday, as has been the case since the murders, police and soldiers guarded the entrance to the village.
"The killings were meant to send a signal, it was meant to trigger ethic violence," said Gail Teixeira, the former home affairs minister and now an advisor on governance to President Bharrat Jagdeo.
"These were poor people, it was meant to cause a trigger reaction," she told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
"This is not what a typical criminal gang would do. Guyana has a gang operating as a terrorist group. Their agenda is to attack the State," she noted, while saying that since the Indo-Guyanese dominated People's Progressive Party (PPP) government came to power in 1992, it has had to deal with various efforts to cripple the socio-economic development of the country.
The main opposition party in the country is the Afro-Guyanese dominated People's National Congress (PNC) and it consistently dismissed suggestions from the ruling party that it is behind the efforts to destabilise the country.
Like its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) neighbour Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana is a multi ethnic society, with persons of Indian and African ancestry being among the majority.
But while these Caribbean countries have been able to put a lid on the violence that has befallen European countries with similar ethnicities, race relations have always been a simmering issue here.
Buxton is a mainly Afro-Guyanese populated communal village of less than 10,000 residents, whose ancestors were able to buy over failed plantations at the end of slavery, while on the other hand, Lusignan has a higher population of Indo Guyanese among the 6,000 villagers and with the land belonging to the State and other private individuals.
The authorities have said that the gunmen responsible for the massacre in late January is led by the country's most wanted criminal, Rondel 'Fineman'
Rawlins, an Afro-Guyanese, who despite a G$50 million (US$250,000) ransom, has been to evade capture by hiding out in the backlands of Buxton.
Farming has been the main livelihood for the residents of both east coast villages, even though in recent years, production has suffered.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said that more than G$33 million (US$1.7
million) had been spent on improving infrastructure within the geographical area over the years, but conceded for instance that "there has been a decline in the sugar cane cultivation from 577 tonnes in 2004 to 302 in 2007.
"Also, the 75 cane farmers who have supplied the Guyana Sugar Corporation
(GUYSUCO) have declined considerably," he added.
Law enforcement authorities have blamed the Rawlins group for part of the problems plaguing the Buxton farming community and the situation has not been helped by the differing views of Jagdeo and the Opposition Leader, Robert Corbin.
Jagdeo wants the PNCR and its leader to publicly acknowledge that criminal groups were hiding out in Buxton, a stronghold of the opposition party. He repeated the request following the massacre last month, but Corbin has called on the head of state "to end this infantile approach and to allow an independent investigation into the tragedy".
"The future progress of Guyana must be based on a climate of stability and mutual respect among all ethnic groups," the PNCR said urging an end to "racial baiting on the East Coast and the stirring up of ethnic passions".
The authorities have since embarked on "Operation Restore Order" that also includes clearing the backlands in Buxton and the surrounding communities, making it much more difficult for Rawlins and his gang to hide out.
"At the end of the day we are dealing with national security," said Persaud after a meeting with farmers on Thursday ended in uproar amid allegations that Jagdeo had "branded all the farmers as criminals".
"He never said so. I would not allow such falsehood," Persaud said to the angry farmers, some of whom reminded him that no farmer had ever been arrested or detained by the security forces with an AK-47 rifle.
"Let him come, let him defend himself," another angry farmer shouted at Persaud, while Chairman of Region Four, Clement Corlette, who had been sharing the head table with the minister, complained that the lives of the residents had been "disturbed and displaced" by the joint army and police operation.
"Their lives and future are at stake you can't come and soap wash them, you have to listen to them," Corlette said, adding "what is clear is that the minister came here with an agenda and an attitude."
Corbin has also written Jagdeo saying that the new security measures were tantamount to a wanton destruction of property to law abiding citizens.
"While we support the security forces in their fight against crime, I cannot and will not condone any action that is contrary to the law and perceived by most as vindictive.
"I am not questioning the need for searches by the security forces, however, in the absence of any further explanation being given to these residents that are victims of this wanton destruction, there is need for a government guarantee that compensation will be provided to those persons whose property have been damaged," Corbin wrote.
Teixeira said the government has already put in place the necessary mechanism for meeting compensation to those affected and that it is based on the system used during the floods here a few years ago that wiped out crops.
"Every time we have an operation to move in on those criminals, we hear talk of human rights violations and all that. We need to find out who is supplying them with food etc," she said noting that in some instances, persons in Buxton have abandoned their homes and property out of fear and intimidation.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has taken a swipe at the coverage of the local media.
"When the attacks were made on the people of Lusignan there was a public outcry for the joint services to take action and go after the bandits. Some sections of the media were making the claims that nothing was being done, no strategy, no action was being taken. Now that the joint services have swung into action, top gear, we are hearing that damage is being done to property.
"All they have done is manipulated the news, they are interviewing people who claim to have their property damaged but not those who are welcoming the activities of the joint services."
But President of the Guyana Press Association, Denis Chabrol disagrees, saying that the comments of the minister were not "fair" since many villagers were also "fearful of giving evidence to the police".
"The minister should also look at the state media reporting on the incident," he said.
Persaud has that the farmers who were interested in cultivating their lands during the police and military operations would be facilitated by armed escorts, but the angry farmers like Deon Hamer, were not impressed.
"That is nonsense. They would kill us. It is a set-up. That is wrong," they shouted
School teacher, Robin Phillips, who attended the meeting with Persaud on Thursday said that the situation was also affecting students.
"Their parents told me they don't have money and food so the children have to stay home," he added.
CMC/pr/pk/08
Today's Date is: Sun, 18 May 2008 14:27:47
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