A dark shadow
Editorial
Stabroek News
May 3, 2002
There is a document currently in circulation whose contents are so alien to notions of civilized comment that its closest recent parallel is the hate-filled propaganda which spewed from the Hutu-controlled Rwandan radio station, RTLM, in 1994. Titled 'Five for Freedom,' it looks from the font as if the original was generated from a computer, following which it was hand corrected and then copies made for circulation on a photocopying machine. Its syntax, grammar and mode of expression indicate that it was written by someone who was highly literate - in fact, the same individual who was responsible for the distasteful handbill captioned 'Shaka Lives,' which was circulated at Mr Shaka Blair's funeral. It even repeats some of the text which appeared in that publication.
Under normal circumstances it would perhaps be best to pass over such an excrescence as this without comment, but 'Five for Freedom' is, in the literal sense of the term, a criminal document, since it issues threats against members of the police force and their families as well as members of the Government and their families. Classifying all of them as "targets," it refers horrifyingly to 'killing', 'kidnapping', and 'burning to death.'
What have we come to that even a tiny lunatic segment of this society can openly threaten murder, not just against officials, which is bad enough, but against their wives, partners and innocent children? What kind of disturbed mind is it that seeks to perpetrate such evil in the name of five bandits who have stabbed a prison officer to death, seriously wounded another, killed at least one police officer and terrorised any number of law-abiding citizens (of all races) in the last two months?
The cause which justifies all of this, according to the handbill, is extra-judicial killing on the part of the 'Black Clothes' squad. If the cause has merit, the 'remedy' as set forth in 'Five for Freedom' will lead us straight down the road to Armageddon. All rational beings who share the land space which is Guyana know that ethnic strife will solve nothing, either now or in the future. Let every political party, let every media house, let every civic organization, let every NGO denounce this document. In the realm of public exchange, effluvia of this kind must find not even a suspicion of support.
The underlying problem of this handbill is that one suspects it is being promoted by agentes provcateurs who are working to radicalize segments of the African community. If the PNC/R's latest foray into protest is anything to go by, it may be that the party is not on top of the situation. This impression finds support in a story in our Wednesday edition, where we reported residents of Buxton/Friendship as saying that the situation there was out of control and that even respected community and political leaders who formerly had enjoyed some influence over the elements currently causing havoc, now no longer did so.
So we appear to have a situation which has all the hallmarks of slipping into anarchy, with bandits who seemingly cannot be caught, and tensions rising along parts of the coast and in the city. The present increase in the overall temperature has its immediate origin in the shooting of Mr Shaka Blair, a crisis which the Government handled (and continues to handle) badly. The PNC had its own not insignificant contribution to make to the aftermath of the killing by taking protestors out onto the streets again, thereby providing an umbrella under which radicals could operate. At Mr Blair's funeral, it was quite clear that the party had no control over the crowds, and had done insufficient preparation and organization to ensure that there would be no violence.
If we are to negotiate the present crisis, the Government has a bitter pill to swallow. It needs first to stop all the irrational allegations that criticism of extra-judicial killings by the PNC/R constitutes an "anti-police" stance, and "terroristic behaviour." Although this is not at all what has been intended, the ordinary African on the street has extrapolated from these statements to interpret them as applying to Africans in general, rather than the PNC/R in particular. It is dangerous ground, and the administration can ill afford even greater alienation among the African community than exists at present. That is to supply fertile ground for radicals.
Furthermore, it has to change direction very soon on the matter of extra-judicial killings, the single issue around which all of this tension is swirling. The stalling of the dialogue process notwithstanding, call in the PNC/R for discussions on that specific topic, and issue a statement rejecting such killings on the part of the law enforcement agencies, and committing unequivocally to professional policing. The Director of Public Prosecutions has his own part to play in decreasing the tension. After he stopped the private action brought by Mr Eusi Kwayana in relation to the shooting of Mr Blair, he should have announced that a coroner's inquest would be held shortly. The case comes well within the ambit of the relevant act, so what is he dithering about?
All of that would help remove a major political obstacle to cooling emotions in the current situation, and would take away the radicals' main 'cause' which has resonance with the entire African community. It might be added - if it really needed adding - that it is absolutely imperative that the five bandits be caught, and that the police mend fences in the East Coast communities so they can operate there. If the Government is prepared to change its stance on extra-judicial killings, then the PNC/R should demonstrate its bona fides by advising how the police should go about establishing relations in Buxton/Friendship with a view to being able to apprehend the 'five.' Despite all the unfortunate statements issuing from the governing party to the contrary, it is as much in the opposition's interest that they be caught, as it is in everyone else's.
And as for the PNC/R it has a few pills of its own to swallow. If at this point with the threat of the radicalization of its constituency staring it in the face, it cannot finally take a decision to cut loose the fanatics who shelter under its tent, if it cannot let go the criminals, if it cannot commit to peaceful opposition and if it cannot clean up its image, then not only will it undermine its own ability to represent its constituents effectively, but it will have difficulty in persuading the international community that it is anything other than a renegade political entity. Not least of course, it will become vulnerable to radical control which will spell its death as a true political party and which in turn will bring strife in its train.
As much as the Government, therefore, the PNC/R needs to get a grip on the situation. It needs to organize itself in such a way that it does regular grass roots work listening to the problems of its supporters, explaining to them what the party is doing, and telling them why results will not always come as fast as they would like. If it doesn't get in contact with its base, then the radicals will.
If it weren't for the politicians, this little portion of the planet would be one of God's pleasanter demesnes. Yet it is in the hands of the politicians from the traditional parties that our fate once again lies. We ask them to forget egos, and make wise decisions. A dark shadow passed over the country of Rwanda eight years ago; they owe it to us to make sure that no dark shadow passes over this land too.