Inspite of the efforts of the Guyanese diplomatic community in the USA, the identification and basis for detention of a number of Guyanese by US authorities following the September 11 attacks, remain unknown, "a situation that is most undesirable,? Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the last batch of the initial 113 deportees for whom the US had requested travel documents, arrived here yesterday.

At his post-Cabinet briefing held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, Luncheon said that the detention of the unknown number of Guyanese was "unfortunately a situation that affects quite a number of other states whose nationals are similarly detained in the USA.?

However, he said, the government would continue to press the responsible US authorities for information. Government's concern has also been heightened by some of the consequences resulting from the handling of the deportee issues. One of the repercussions was the imposition of a visa ban on government workers and their families.

Luncheon reiterated that perhaps, in the context of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be agreed on by the Guyana and US governments on the issue of deportees, "some of these civil and political rights issues that seem to be abused or ignored in the efforts of the US authorities to deport can be addressed."

He said that as a result of the nature of the detention, which followed the events of September 11, the Guyanese were being held incommunicado. Information was being provided in trickles. He said that had it not been for human rights activities by unions and organisations in the US no information might have been available. But he said that whenever the authorities provided the information, he was certain that the governments of nationals identified would make legal and other interventions on their behalf.

Asked about the lifting of the US visa ban on government workers and their families, Luncheon said that the government had complied with the conditions laid down by the US authorities. On that basis, he said, there was some expectation in administrative circles here that the ban might be lifted by year-end. Guyana has responded to the draft MOU submitted by the US government. The exchange of diplomatic briefs by both parties would now clear the way for face-to-face discussions on the design and provisions of that MOU.