The Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL) has joined the ranks of those demanding a thorough, independent and objective investigation into the shooting death of Yohance Douglas. Douglas was shot to death last Saturday by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
The GAWL stated that the GPF has apparently failed or refused to come to terms with the fact that “the actions of some of its ranks in killing citizens have been unlawful, unjustified and morally wrong”.
The Association said that it has for many years raised the issue of extra-judicial killings by the police force and it appears that brute force and ignorance had become the norm for some members of the force.
“The GAWL demands that a thorough and objective investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Yohance Douglas be conducted under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority ... The GAWL joins in demanding that an urgent, systemic and systematic review of the operations of the GPF be conducted”, the women lawyers said.
The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) deemed Douglas’ killing “symptomatic of a greater disease that has gripped our nation for some time now”.
The Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU) described the action of the police on March 1 as “reckless, coming as it did against a background of repeated public accusations of extra-judicial killings”, stating that this may well result in a further deterioration in the public’s lack of confidence. The union expressed its disappointment over the ranks in question being assigned “desk jobs”, instead of being suspended from duties pending investigations. The CCWU said that it too has had cause to complain about the police, pointing out that in October, 2001 reckless policing caused injury to one of its members during a picket at the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation at Farm.
“To date our complaint is yet to be completely processed. What then is the purpose of the Police Complaints Authority? The head of that Authority has called for a staff of independent investigators to aid his work in a speedy fashion but we do not see an urgent response to his request”, the CCWU declared.
The CCWU noted that police officers have been deliberately targeted for execution and some people seem to rejoice when a policeman dies. “If the authorities want to put an end to this, they must act speedily to resolve this latest issue and restore public confidence in the GPF”.
The CIOG called on all Muslims and Guyanese to support the UG students in their protest. All of the organizations, along with the Seventh-Day Adventist community, the National Front Alliance (NFA) and the Association of Regional Chambers of Commerce extended deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Yohance Douglas while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured and traumatised young men and their families.
The NFA said the killing was another manifestation of the “monster spawned by successive governments and nurtured by our collective silence, that continues to consume not only criminals but the innocents of our society”.