Extra-judicial killing
The Government has seriously misjudged the mood of the nation in the matter of 'Blackie's' killing. If it thought that since Mr London was the target, it would not matter to the public how he died, then they miscalculated. No one denies 'Blackie's' criminal record, and no one in their right senses condones his actions. Yet however many crimes are added to his rap sheet, it still does not alter the fact of the manner of his death. Of course, a segment of the police force has been engaged in extra-judicial killings for some time now, but these were not carried out in front of the TV cameras or in the full view of a large crowd of civilians. In earlier instances, citizens heard conflicting accounts second-hand, and while many people were disturbed by the stories, nothing coalesced to cause a mass expression of revulsion at what was going on. It is London's rather public death which has provided the crucible for a crystallization of public opinion on the matter. The full extent of Government alienation from public opinion was made painfully evident by Dr Roger Luncheon in his fortnightly press conference on Friday. He informed reporters that he did not feel there was widespread public concern about the way the Eccles operation had been concluded. While noting that the army and the police had been the targets of "rather indelicate statements about their role" in events, he felt that "saner heads would prevail as time evolves and no doubt a more balanced position would be taken when all the facts are in concerning this incident." Where has he been all week, one wonders, or is it that the walls of the Presidential Secretariat are so thick that the vibes of "public concern" cannot penetrate? Is he really not aware that there is still a sufficient sense of decency around for the average person to be genuinely offended by the police (not, it appears, the army) killing Mr London in the act of surrender? Dr Luncheon astonishingly let it be known that the Joint Services did not contemplate taking him alive. Both the police and the army have said in one version or another, that the orders "dead or alive" given to the officers at Eccles, did not mean 'shoot on sight.' So here we have the Government saying one thing, and incidentally, defending the indefensible, and the Joint Services saying another. Already it has created a new problem for a suspicious public of which official account to believe. And as for a "more balanced position" emerging when all the facts were in, where does Dr Luncheon get the confidence that when all the evidence is in (as opposed to the 'facts'), public perceptions will change? A little over a week ago Stabroek News sallied forth onto the street to collect the opinions [please note: link provided by LOSP web site] of citizens on the Eccles operation for Monday's 'What the people say' feature. There was no shortage of men and women wishing to express their views on the issue - quite the contrary, in fact - but there was a severe dearth of those willing to be photographed and permit the attribution of their names to a published opinion. And what were they afraid of? Not the army, not even the criminals, but a section of the police force. Government representatives flit about the country butterfly-style talking of 'deepening democracy.' However, you cannot talk about deepening democracy if citizens are afraid to speak out for fear of a group of policemen. You cannot talk about deepening democracy if a section within the force behaves more like an execution squad than the guardians of society. You cannot talk of deepening democracy if the only strategy you have at your disposal for combatting serious crime is extra-judicial killing by the men in black and sometimes, blue. You cannot talk of deepening democracy if the GPF, instead of operating within democratic parameters, undermines the very democracy you boast about by ignoring due process. Whether Dr Luncheon and the Government he represents realize it or not, we have come to a crossroads. The public has finally let its voice be heard about extra-judicial killing, and they should listen to that voice. This is not a political issue; it is an issue of good governance. The Government, no less than the Opposition, cannot be on the side of an execution squad within the police force. Let it demonstrate that by ordering an independent investigation into 'Blackie's' death, and by reining in those elements among the police who are operating in a way which no open society can tolerate.
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