Stabroek News
April 13, 2001

Guyana is in peril. There is clearly a group of persons who are willing to engage in arson and destruction. One assumes that these persons are not old enough to have been around in the sixties and are not aware of the real danger that this kind of behaviour can easily get out of hand and lead to retaliation and eventually a bloody showdown that can result in the deaths of many innocent people. The damage to property and businesses will also lead to widespread unemployment and will scare investment away for the indefinite future.

It is a terrifying prospect. We do not believe the vast majority of Guyanese want anything to do with this. There are however a few people who have on a daily basis on Channel Nine television for several months been pumping people full of rage and hatred with rumours and allegations. A letter in these columns today shows how far this has gone in the past two weeks. There is now virtually a call to arms and rebellion. In no democracy in the world is that sort of thing tolerated. Indeed, no democracy will survive that sort of battering. Eventually, the stoked up rage will break out and consume everyone. The owner should take immediate steps to deal with this matter in the interest of the nation.

Those who want Guyana to survive intact as one nation should at this stage speak out clearly and unequivocally. The arson must be condemned. It is ruining not only the unfortunate owners and businessmen but the chances of economic development. The beatings and robberies of innocent persons, primarily Indian, is atrocious and racist and must be condemned. We do not believe that this behaviour is authorised by the leadership of the PNC REFORM but in the public mind these activities occur in the wake of protests and are therefore seen to flow from them. Some on the east coast who man the barriers and shake down drivers for 'contributions' also profess themselves to be supporters. The party therefore, we believe, especially given the 'slow fire' slogan which can be misinterpreted should make a clear public statement disavowing and condemning these unfortunate events.

Dialogue is the only answer. President Jagdeo has issued an open invitation and Mr. Desmond Hoyte has outlined his priority concerns. Let these be discussed and dealt with. Destruction and violence are not a solution. If the aim of that group is to overthrow the government that is clearly not a viable proposition. Nor would any successor government be accepted, given the consensus on democracy in the hemisphere.

We are convinced that none of the opposition parties want a revolution, that would quite possibly lead to civil war, or partition, that would lead to enormous disruption. In the meantime, tremendous damage is being done to race relations by a small destructive minority and this will make working together more difficult.

Let all the parties issue a statement calling for an end to violence and destruction. Let dialogue begin urgently and sanity return. And those who are continually spreading the poison of racial hatred should not be allowed to continue.