Govt. policies are working against the young and vulnerable

Nov 08, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
The Guyana Government and police are proving inherently incompetent to deliver security and protection for its citizens.
It is scandalous that the police could not stop the gunmen in their brazen attack, who went on a rampage of shooting at the Brickdam Police Headquarters, East Ruimveldt Police Outpost and the fire bombing at the High Court, and a secondary school.
In fact Dr Roger Luncheon took great pride when he successfully ensured the scuttling of the $1.6 billion funded UK security and police project recently.
The project would have provided vital police training and to plug the huge hole in police effectiveness, responsibility and accountability in Guyana.
Dr Luncheon went as far as offering to resign on the issue and to put up a lame duck excuse about trampling on Guyana’s sovereignty and processes ownership.
This was his plank upon which he was ready to jump overboard and it had nothing to do with strengthening the lapses in policing and security.
The UK had little option but to withdraw the funding and divert it to another needy country.
However, this does not prevent Government and police from making empty noises about pursuing the gunmen with vigour with little else to show. By ditching the UK funding they have abandoned any pretence to a genuine commitment to training and to shore-up the effectiveness and accountability of the police.
If the Police cannot apprehend the gunmen and defend their own headquarters in Brickdam, then who else can the citizens of Guyana turn to for protection?
The graphic and abhorrent image as published recently in Kaieteur News of the naked and burnt genital area of a kid is evident of the extent of police atrocities that has been brought to light.
Children are obviously not safe in the hands of the police. They face grave danger to life and limb in lopsided interrogation methods being used against them at police stations, when no one is present, be it parent, legal guardian or representative.
Minors are also thrown into putrid cells like animals along with hardened criminals, exacerbating the danger even further to their sanity and wellbeing.
Senseless and damning traumas are being imposed on the very young by irresponsible policing that can only serve to propagate a new generation of deeply damaged and lawless citizens. This is very far removed from striving to develop a strong, vibrant and caring society for the future.
The strong signal being sent to the outside world would be received loud and clear that Guyana has no respect for its young and vulnerable citizens, let alone respect for law and order and least of all human rights.
Guyana is a haven for inept politicians, who only seek to promote their own self interests regardless of the human costs.
This is the kind of society that Dr Luncheon would like to impose on a future generation of Guyanese. His laissez-faire policy is doing little to protect the young and vulnerable, as he adamantly defends the present status quo even if it means resignation.
Then there is the issue with the sale of drugs. Squatters are allowed to use state land-reserves with impunity for illegal commercial exploitation with the police and government turning a blind eye.
No case of torture against the unscrupulous drugs merchants is known, and should not be condoned in any event.
Sales of drugs are being encouraged and promoted, as more and more youngsters turn to drugs as the drug merchants grow rich by flouting the laws.
This is obviously not the same for helpless minors, who are unable to protect themselves and with every thing being stacked-up high against them.
The vulnerable are becoming the easy targets of the police and politicians alike.
Mac Mahase

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