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Amnesty wrote.......

Thank you for your recent communication regarding Amnesty International's (AI) recent statement addressing the human rights situation in Guyana.

There appears to be much misunderstanding around AI's press release. In requesting the Guyana authorities not to deem large sections of Guyana society as "terroristic", AI does not seek to excuse the violent actions of any member of society.  Nor is the organization taking an anti-government stance. If the government has evidence that of lawbreaking by groups and individual, it is incumbent upon them to detect, arrest, charge and bring to trial anyone involved in acts of violence, including anyone motivated by racial hatred of a different ethnic group. Such individuals should be brought before the courts regardless of whether they support or oppose the government. The protection of human rights and the upholding of law and order are too important not to be given the support of everyone in society; AI hopes to foster such support through its work.

While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is clear that the protection of human rights should be of concern to all in society, governments have a very specific and clear role to play in upholding such rights. It is, after all, government who control the security forces and the passing of laws, both of which play a large and significant role in the protection of human rights. It is also the government who has the responsibility of dealing with crime through state agencies.

AI feared that the branding of all of the opposition and much of the media as terroristic could have intimidated individuals into foregoing their right to freedom of speech and could also have incited others into attacking those who disagreed with them. Expressing such fears does not mean that AI views the opposition or parts of the media as free from blame in inciting racialism or abuses of human rights.

In light of the tragic events of 11 September and the heightened tension caused by the attack, governments should be circumspect in their choice of words and not brand whole sections of society as supporting violence.

AI constantly campaigns for human rights protection in highly partisan atmospheres (such as the current situation in Guyana). It is regrettable, but understandable, that many individuals mistake the organization's messages to be anti-government or pro-opposition in these circumstances. In reality, AI simply seeks to protect human rights and not to become involved with the internal politics of any country.  

We would like to therefore again reiterate that AI does not oppose or support any political party, nor does the organization side with any race, religion or creed. AI is a strictly nonpartisan, independent, impartial human rights non-governmental organization campaigning to protect the rights of every member of every society.

AI has grave concerns around the human rights situation in Guyana and hopes that all the political and ethnic groups will put aside whatever differences they have to work towards a more peaceful society where every individual's human rights are respected.

Below is a copy of AI's statement in full for you information.

AI-index: AMR 35/001/2002     19/04/2002

Public Statement

19 April 2002
AI Index AMR 35/001/2002 - News Service Nr. 70
Guyana: Legitimate debate around human rights issues must not be stifled

Amnesty International today urged the government of Guyana not to resort to inflammatory language that may undermine the right of freedom of expression and lead to further human rights violations.

''Many states describe as ''terrorist'' political motivations that they oppose,'' the organisation said. ''The recent branding of the opposition party and media as ''terroristic'' risks debasing legitimate public debate and encouraging violence against certain individuals,'' the organization added, appealing for all in society to unite to condemn abuses by the security forces and work towards a society where the fundamental rights of all citizens are respected.

Amnesty International also reiterated its call for an immediate review of the activities of the Special Police Anti Crime Unit (the ''Black Clothes'' squad), citing numerous recent reports it had received of alleged extrajudicial killings in which members of the squad were implicated, including the killing of Lamar Blair last week.

''We recognise the duty of states under international human rights law to protect their populations from violent criminal acts. However crime fighting must not be undermined through the deliberate failure to adhere to international principles on the use of force and firearms. Human rights standards are not simply legal niceties. Rather they provide the framework through which all human rights may be protected. ''

Background
On 16 April 2002, the Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary accused the opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R) party of pursuing ''terroristic'' policies and of increasing the risks faced by police by encouraging anti-police sentiment. The PNC/R had recently called for the disbanding of the Target Special Squad. The government also criticised the Trades Union Congress (TUC), urging them to condemn the ''anti-Police campaign and terroristic behaviour of the PNC/R and its operatives'', after the TUC condemned alleged police excesses.

Amnesty International has long-standing concerns regarding the failure to tackle impunity for law enforcement officers who commit human rights violations in Guyana. Police reports that Lamar Blair opened fire on police in the course of an arrest attempt at his home contrasted with eye witness allegations that he was dragged from his home in front of his wife and two-year old child and shot in the head. Amnesty International has written to the government about this and other cases.

\ENDS

Piers Bannister - Researcher
North American/English speaking Caribbean Team
Amnesty International, International Secretariat
1 Easton St.
London, WC1X 0DW, UK
pbannist@amnesty.org
tel: +44 (0) 20 7413 5804
fax: +44 (0) 20 7956 1157
http://www.amnesty.org
----- Forwarded by Piers Bannister/I.S./Amnesty International on 13/05/02 17:19 -----

nothing new. Since 1992 the majority of this nation has repeatedly been subjected to the "terroristic" scheming and brutish thuggery of this gang. According to the police there is "a clear pattern of criminal
activities designed to create a climate of instability in the country."

Is plan X-14 underway?
According to the Stabroek News (6/30/01) the police say that, "'questionable characters had been recruited to carry out criminal activities during the course of the protest demonstrations, utilizing the enabling environment, which was being created."

The Stabroek News reported a police press release as saying that "further information has suggested that these raids and attacks on householders, taxi drivers and members of the public are 'aimed at selected targets'.

"It also implicated sections of the media as being part of the design to strengthen the enabling environment by their readiness 'to give views which are intended to reduce the resolve of the Police to fight crime and to court certain responses on their
programmes.'

Amnesty International, much like the Guyana Human Rights Association, seems only concerned with the welfare of certain types of people in society. I am yet to hear the GHRA speak out strongly against the frequent human rights violations and physical harassment perpetrated by certain political groupings against a specific section of the Guyanese population. Fortunately, these abused people have never and will never look to the GHRA for representation.

Amnesty's local chapter seems keener to defend political groups rather than individual rights. If it were not so we would have heard from them, for instance, when GIFT released it's reports which detailed numerous cases of gross human rights violations and abuses carried out against various individuals. Why haven't they pronounced on the kidnapping and torture of innocent citizens at the headquarters of a certain political party as reported in all the local newspapers? Clearly, the international body is not being feed accurate information about how the activities of certain malefactors are clearly terroristic in nature.

So I urge all people whose daily activities, whose livelihood, whose peace, whose well-being and whose families are affected by the terroristic behavior of the political opposition to write Amnesty International and let them know the truth about those whose criminal behavior is designed to produce anarchy and mayhem throughout society.
Amnesty's U.S website lists its local chapter at: PO Box 10720, Palm Court Building. 35 Main Street, Georgetown, Guyana.

Amnesty's home page lists its local chapter at: PO Box 101679 Georgetown. Guyana.

No email address or telephone number is listed for the local office, but the fax number is: 274948. Amnesty's main office in the UK can be reached by email at: amnestyis@amnesty.org
Justin DeFreitas.