Dear Editor,
The APNU+AFC regime has clearly displayed their racist policies in their attitude towards the Indo-Guyanese and Amerindian population of our country.
One of the first moves the regime made when they took office was to commence mass dismissals of persons of these ethnic groups from the public service.
The discrimination, especially against Indo-Guyanese, has continued, particularly at the level of the state corporations, including GuySuCo and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), among others.
Indo-Guyanese now live in a state of great apprehension, wondering what next the regime will use to victimise them because of their race.
The situation in the sugar and rice industries is also a demonstration of the racist tactics being practised by the regime.
However, they reserve some of their vilest attacks for the Afro-Guyanese supporters of the PPP/C.
Kwame Mc Coy is one such victim who is hated/despised by the regime because he is a strident supporter/activist of the PPP/C. This makes him enemy number one for them.
During the 2015 elections, Kwame was seriously injured by ardent supporters of the APNU+AFC; his suffered a broken nose and was hospitalised for several days.
The regime has also brought trumped-up charges against him. In the early days of its assumption to office, Mc Coy was arrested on a fake murder charge and forced to endure several days in prison under horrific conditions. He was also dragged before the court shackled in chains.
Now again, the regime has resurrected another case. This time involving Mark Benschop, a known political provocateur, stating that Kwame damaged his (Benschop’s) property, etc.
This incident occurred more than five years ago.
The most troubling occurrence is that the political directorate is using the police to harass their opponents.
Mc Coy, in a statement issued to the press, pointed out that three eyewitnesses testified that he was not present when the alleged incident involving Benschop’s vehicle being damaged occurred.
The police refused to place those eyewitness’ statements in Mc Coy’s file before it was sent for review. The only purpose for this act was to ensure that Kwame was charged and placed in the lockups.
This could be seen as an act to punish and humiliate him because of his being a PPP/C supporter/activist. .
Mc Coy’s continued harassment is not an isolated case; it is a continuation of racist policy of the regime and which has clearly and openly shown their intolerance to criticisms levelled against them.
Recently, the regime cancelled the leases that were granted to some thirty Afro-Guyanese farmers in the West Berbice area. These lands were state lands which the former PPP/C administration leased to landless farmers and those already cultivating land, but were being exploited by persons claiming to be members of a co-op.
The ‘co-op’ was investigated and it was recommended that it should be disbanded. This entity was controlled by a little clique of known PNC/APNU members.
The cancellation of these farmers’ leases was another vindictive act designed to ‘teach’ a lesson to Afro-Guyanese people not to support and/or work with the PPP/C.
As can be gleaned from the above, the persons who were granted leases to farm the land are poor farmers, who badly need the income gained from their crop to support themselves and their families.
The regime obviously intends to punish these farmers or force them to humiliate themselves by begging pardon of the PNC big shots.
These acts of victimisation and racism have clearly shown that the PNC has not changed their ‘leopard spots.’
They not only discriminate against Indo-Guyanese, but also against Afro-Guyanese who dare show an iota of independence and action.
This will only bring our country to economic and political disrepute in the eyes of the rest of the world.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
