Criminal rampage in Guyana

Dear Editor,
The brutal burning to death of a rice farming family (Munir and Jamila) on Sunday night, April 17, 2016 at Good Hope East Bank Essequibo is a grim reminder of the degenerated culture of brutality and people on people violence which has evolved to become epidemic in Guyana.

Munir and Jamila though unassuming to many at the upper echelons of Guyanese society, were among the small group of large rice farmers that emerged in the rice industry since 2000.

Jamila was a prominent member of the Rice Producers Association, and is well-known in rice farming circles across the country.

The inhumanity and depravity demonstrated by this heinous act by persons so far not named, and unknown will undoubtedly send shock waves across the country, especially in the Indo-Guyanese farming communities.

The Working Peoples Alliance Overseas Associates urges the authorities in Guyana, and its policing agencies to act with urgent haste to investigate, get to the bottom of this crime, and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The scale and terror of the criminal rampage in Guyana demand that every community, social political religious, cultural labour organization subscribe to a national effort to curtail crime and that the issue be depoliticised.

Further, we call upon the government to engage in the broadest possible consultation in creating a viable policy and expedite reform in the security forces to enhance their professionalism and capacity to make our country safe and secure.

Keith Boyce
WPA Overseas Associates

Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un.