Dear Editor,
As the entire Guyana shares in the pain and the horror of the community of Lusignan, one is left shocked by the lack of positive reaction from the Government in attempting to apprehend the criminals who perpetrated this heinous act against innocent victims.
It is now four days since this tragedy occurred yet not one criminal has been apprehended. Indeed one is left to wonder if any attempt is being made to go after the criminals. How can 25 murderous gang members simply disappear into thin air? It is already common knowledge that the gang operates out of the Buxton backlands, yet security forces are still to make a concerted raid into the area. Why?
Isn’t the government worried that the criminals may want to make yet another ‘statement’? The security forces may be out in full attire removing burning debris along the roads and roughing up the protesters who have every right to be extremely agitated, while the criminals may be grouping together to launch another attack somewhere else.
What about the persons responsible for security in the government? Why are they still being treated as though they have been doing their work well? The Minister of Home Affairs, the Commissioner of Police, the officer in charge of the east coast branch of the police force, the officers manning the east coast police stations where the numerous phone calls were made. They should all be suspended or fired with immediate effect. Such an action will show that the government is responding to the pain of the people and is taking immediate steps to remove the incompetence that has caused the criminal situation to escalate out of control.
In other developed countries, the minister and the commissioner of police would have voluntarily tendered their resignation the next day. This should have been done because of the actions of the police who were contacted when the criminals were committing their dastardly act. When they refused to immediately respond to the people’s plea for help, they created a cardinal sin in their mandate of protecting the people. They abandoned innocent people to the (lack of) mercy of criminals. For such an act by the police force, the hierarchy needs to be held responsible.
I am certain that what the community of Lusignan, and indeed the entire country, wanted to hear from the President the day after the massacre was that the police and army were immediately sent into the Buxton backlands to eliminate/capture the criminal elements. That the hierarchy of the police were ordered to tender their resignation due to the spiralling crime spree and the inefficiency of the police to respond to the pleas of the community that was under siege.
There will come a time in the not too distant future when the government will have to deal with the basic cause of the surge in criminal elements and how to alleviate the problem. But, in the aftermath of the Lusignan massacre, the country was looking for a more immediate response from the president.
That lack of an immediate response has been a damning evidence to the president. It shows that even in this most difficult of times he is not willing to make strong decisions.
Strong leaders make strong decisions, Mr President. And your lack of strong decisions in this most tragic situation, and indeed such similar situations in the past, is what you will be judged by in the future. Who knows, if strong decisions were made from the inception when this crime spree was now starting, we would not have been so deep in mourning today.
Yours faithfully,
M. Emile
