Submitted by Rickford Burke of Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID)
Public Statement by Attorneys
31st October 2009
“No person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading punishment or other treatment.”
Article 141 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
“Any person who is arrested or detailed shall be informed as soon as reasonably practicable .. ..of the reasons for his arrest or detention and shall be permitted, at his own expense, to retain and instruct without delay a legal adviser of his own choice…”
Article 139 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana
“Every person, as contemplated by the respective international treaties set out in the Fourth Schedule to which Guyana has acceded is entitled to the human rights enshrined in the said international treaties and such rights shall be respected and upheld by the executive, legislature, judiciary and all organs and agencies of the Government, and where applicable to them all natural and legal persons and shall be enforceable in the manner herein prescribed.”
Fourth Schedule includes Convention of the Rights of the Child
Article 154 A of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
The (Guyana Police) Force shall be employed in the prevention and detection of crime, …. and the due enforcement of all laws and regulations with which it is directly charged …” Police Act Chapter 16:01 of the Laws of Guyana.
The events surrounding the arrest, detention and subsequent torture of a fourteen year old minor and at least one other suspect while in the custody of the Guyana Police Force at the Leonora Police Station are as chilling as they are abhorrent.
The subsequent refusal by the Guyana Police Force to permit another brutalized detainee access to a legal advisor of his own choice, particularly eminent Senior Counsel , for a period of four days is a flagrant violation of the guaranteed protected fundamental rights of the citizen, as set out in the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana by those whose primary duty is to uphold the rights enshrined in the Constitution.
The restriction and prevention by the Guyana Police of access by the media and other members of the public to a Magistrate’s Court while victims of police brutality where present in the Court are ominous signs of a cover up and suppression of the publication of criminal activity by law enforcement officers.
We the undersigned wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms the torture of a minor and for a matter of fact any other person while in custody by members of the Guyana Police Force.
We wish to record our unreserved condemnation of the Guyana Police Force of their refusal to permit the minor access to a legal advisor of his choice after his detention by the Guyana Police Force.
The restriction of access by the media to a public court by members of the Guyana Police Force where evidence of their acts of torture and violence is unashamed attempt to suppress the dissemination of information to the public of criminal activity by members of the Guyana Police Force who are charged with the responsibility of protecting and serving the public. This enjoys our unequivocal condemnation.
We condemn crime in all forms and offer our sympathies to the victims of all crimes.
We make the following immediate demands:
1. The immediate institution of criminal charges against those responsible for the torture of the minor at the Lenora Police Station between the 27th and 30th October 2009.
2. The establishment of an independent public Commission of Inquiry into the following:
(a) Operational and structural procedures of the Guyana Police Force which led to the torture of a minor while in police custody.
(b) Operation and structural procedures which permitted these events to proceed undetected and unsanctioned.
(c) Operational and structural procedures which facilitated an Attorney at law being denied access to his client.
3. The immediate suspension of the Officer in charge of the investigation and the officer in charge of the station at which the minor was tortured during the conduct of the investigation into the events.
4. The immediate provision of immediate medical and psychological treatment to the victim of these horrific events.
1. Bernard De Santos S.C.
2. C.A. Nigel Hughes.
3. Vic Puran
4. Khemraj Ramjattan
5. Stephen Fraser.
6. Mark Waldron.
7. Glenn Hanoman.
8. Pamela De Santos.
9. Roger Yearwood.
10. Ronald Burch-Smith
11. Gregory Gaskin.
12. Anil Nandlall.
13. Gino Persaud
14. Joseph Harmon
15. Robin Hunte.
16. Kenita Cumberbatch.
17. Deborah Kumar.
18. Raphael Trotman.
19. Peter Hugh.
20. Satyesh Kissoon.
21. Rexford Jackson.
22. Moen Mc Doom. Jnr.
23. Mishka Puran.
24. Manoj Narayan.
Barbados Underground 
It is interesting when the immigration issue was front centre how the media, especially the Nation newspaper was reproducing articles from the Guyana newspapers. On an every day basis the heinous crimes taking place in Guyana and covered in the Guyana media seems now to be ignored by local media.
David
Y ou are right.
Roxanne gibbs agenda against barbados has been exposed.
Notice how she does not identify in the newspaper the criminals who are guyanese when they kill and commit other crimes in barbados.
The guyanese people need to do something about this jagdeo administration. This act committed by the police reminds me of the aparthied system that used to be the law in south africa. How many more despicable acts sanctioned by the guyana government will be tolerated? When will enough be enough?
Although it is unimaginable we believe if a similar incident had occurred in Barbados there would have been a national outcry with suspensions, firings, resignations etc to follow. The fact that our media continues business as usual without regard to the fact Guyana not only represents a significant source market for labour but throughout the Caribbean. The kind of culture which permeates the Guyana society that would breed such acts in a key agency which is the underpinning of a stable civil society must be of concern to not only Barbados but wider CARICOM.
David
Don’t forget the A.G. says he wants to import police from the region including Guyana.
David
Thanks very much for having the courage to highlight such a despicable act carried out by agents of an entity that is responsible for law & order in Guyana.
I hope our leader David Thompson is watching closely the happenings in Guyana and I also hope that he is observing the brutal murders that are occurring in Barbados by Guyanese especially the Indo-Guyanese type.Remember the little school girl in St John who was tied up & the house set on fire and an Indo-Guyanese is charged for that murder.
That picture & the vicious acts that Guyanese are famous for are the reasons why brother Scout,Mash Up & Buy Back and many other bloggers are concerned with the rapidly expanding Indo-Guyanese population in Barbados.
The question we must ask ourselves are we prepare to sacrifice the prosperity,tranquility & progress this country has made because of our obligations to CARICOM & CSME?
We mentioned under another blog yesterday the concern expressed by Wayne Norville Chief Inspector of the RSPCA who spoke of a cult (religion) among a certain group who sacrifice animals obviously to appease their gods.
Is this what we want in stable Barbados in the name of CSME? In Barbados we have a habit of waiting until the horse has bolted not sure if we have the luxury now to continue. The social and moral degradation of our little society is occurring at a quick pace. Our heart goes out to this boy who is scared physically and emotionally for LIFE.
Dios Mios! That pic is a stomach churner and don’t for one sec, think that it can’t happen in Barbados. Since the big, bad US is doing it with impunity, everyone else gets a free pass. Please don’t import outsiders to uphold law and order in Barbados! Once this becomes the norm watch the rapid disintegration of that island simply because of cultural misunderstanding which can lead to contempt for the locals.
This shit is gonna get so damn big, that by the time Bajans realise what’s going on they won’t have a pot to piss in nor a window to throw it out of.
Keep this shit out of Barbados or all you’ll be left with is a thread of ‘REMEMBERING WHAT WAS BAJAN!’
it must turn the bent pigs on
make them feel like big men
some sort of sexual thrill
just like the s.s. and abu ghraib
accounts of physical, psychological, and
sexual abuse, including torture, rape,
sodomy, and homicide of prisoners etc
I have nothing but pity for my Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters. However this is what happens when a nation becomes complacent and fails to take heed of impending warning signs.
The message for Barbados is clear. Why engage in this useless form of multi-culturalism when certain groups have no interest in mixing with the local community.
Barbados is at a cross road. Does it continue to open the floodgates and allow in high levels of immigrants; or does it raise the drawbridges and block further immigration.
The controversy concerning the presence of so many Indo-Asians will have to be dealt with soon. This group represents a major danger to the future well-being of Barbados.
Idi Amin of Uganda recognised this back in 1974 and expelled ALL Asians from his country. He recognised their arrogance and demanded them to leave.
I believe that the time has come for Barbados to emulate this feat. Their presence can no longer be accepted in Barbados.
Lord have mercy,Christ have mercy.
Can you imagine that these BLACK IGNORANT JACKASSES at that police station are murdering and maiming citizens at the behest of their master JAGDEO?
quite nice to see the cocaine dons vic puran and glen hannoman [cocaine lawyers to the cocaine dons] and nandlall [a PPP neophyte] finally seeing that torture is inhumane and illegal
too bad it took a non.African to come to this realisation
guess better late than never
BUT WHERE WAS THIS OUTRAGE WHEN POLICE, ARMY AND POLICE WERE MURDERING BLACK PEOPLE?
things that make you go hmmmmmmmm
Most of these tortures are being caried out by Indians from the PPP party placed in the services. The last two are named Lall and Dulai. There are Indians in Guyana that will never confront a black man face to face, but tie him up and they will torture and mutilate him while laughing hideously. Those are he kinds of Indians that make up the leadership of the PPP, and the ones placed in positions of power and authority by the Hindutava regime.
XMAN,
I can’t believe you would say that there shouldn’t be any Asians in Barbados in this century, better yet, in this year! That is a true racist comment.
Asians are arrogant huh? Thanks alot!
I guess every other race is perfect……