The fact that Tshaka Blair, Linden ‘Blackie’ London, Cecil ‘Beast’ McDonald and many other allegedly wanted men who have been killed by the police over the years were former members of the Guyana Defence Force or the Guyana People’s Militia has raised concerns about what happens to soldiers once they leave military service. Are they walking targets of the law-enforcement agencies?
The Defence Force was forced to expand in the years immediately after Independence in response to territorial aggression such as the Venezuelan-sponsored rebellion in the Rupununi District and the Surinamese attempted occupation of the New River zone. Although the size of the GDF has been reduced drastically over the past 15 years from the time of President Desmond Hoyte’s economic recovery programme, the number of ex-soldiers obviously has continued to increase, albeit at a decreasing rate.
There are now several thousand ex-soldiers, many of whom are quite young. This came about not because the GDF is large in size but because of its peculiar pensions regulations which require private soldiers and non-commissioned officers to retire by age 40, or its equally peculiar system of short employment contracts which run for 3, 6, 9 or 12 years. The result is a rapid and constant turnover of troops.
Given the economic depression of the 1980s and 1990s, and the current problems in the country, many ex-soldiers, some possessing only military training certificates, have been unable to find gainful civilian employment. Few legitimate businesses have use for artillerymen, parachutists and such like - talents necessary for the task of national defence which the GDF has discharged satisfactorily over the past 36 years. Even now, troops toil day and night on ‘Operation Tourniquet’, arguably the proper responsibility of the Guyana Police Force. Two soldiers have lost their lives by accident since the operation started.
Young people who perform military service, especially in times of danger, often miss educational and employment opportunities and are called upon to make greater personal sacrifices than other occupations. For this reason, every country recognises its obligation to re-train ex-soldiers in skills which could help them to be self-employed or to re-integrate into society after their military service.
President Bharrat Jagdeo himself spoke of the need to train these soldiers when he addressed GDF Officers on 9 May. In fact, the President met with the Trustees of the Guyana Veterans Foundation - a NGO established by ex-soldiers themselves - in February 2000, but a promised follow-up meeting never materialised. The Foundation also held meetings with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Gail Teixeira to pursue plans to develop a training centre and hospice for military veterans; with Mrs Janet Jagan while she was Prime Minister, to discuss proposals for modifying military regulations to allow ex-soldiers a soft landing after being retired from the GDF; and with Dr Roger Luncheon, the Defence Board Secretary, to discuss veterans development. All to no avail.
But ignoring the problem will not solve it. Although no serious research has been done into the employment of ex-soldiers, anecdotal evidence suggests that, as the President himself thinks, some sort of resettlement plan needs to be put in place. But the Veterans Foundation has already drafted a plan and presented it both to President Jagdeo who is Chairman of the Defence Board, and Dr Luncheon, the Secretary. Odinga Lumumba, Ministerial Adviser on Empowerment, is also aware of this plan. Again, to no avail.
The veterans have not been seeking cash handouts and food hampers, merely a reasonable re-settlement scheme to re-integrate them into civilian employment after their military service. It is best, for all concerned that the return of veterans to society should be orderly and planned rather than allow it to occur in a disorderly and unplanned manner.