Dear Editor,
There are emerging signs that the government and the Guyana Police Force are bent on taking away the fundamental rights of the people of Guyana. Demonstrating and protesting against wrongdoing by any government or group is a basic human right and Guyanese should resist any attempt to take away this right. We must not be afraid to defend our freedom to protest against the ills in our society.
The recent denial of a permit to march in Georgetown to the PNC by the police on a flimsy excuse is a very serious act taking away the right of the people of Guyana to protest, and all Guyanese who believe in freedom should condemn this act. On Wednesday, May 14, the police arrested the driver of the Leader of the Opposition for using a loudspeaker without a permit, I would like to ask the police why it is all those people who play loud music all over the city are not arrested for making noise; each day men pushing carts equipped with amplifiers blast very loud music across the city and in some of the most quiet neighbourhoods and around schools, and to date no arrest has ever been made. Hire car drivers also blast loud music moving through the streets of Georgetown and no one is ever arrested. This is a clear sign of victimization and political harassment.
The arrest of a member of the security detail of the Leader of the Opposition is yet another attempt to drive fear into the minds of the supporters of the PNC, but perhaps the police and the government have a very shallow memory; incidents like these only serve to strengthen the resistance of the supporters of the PNC. The PNC is built on strong foundations, and its members and supporters are proud people who are prepared to make the necessary sacrifice to bring about a new political culture in Guyana. The supporters of the PNC are prepared to fight against the discrimination and corruption of the PPP/C regime.
The PPP/C regime got carried away into believing that the PNC cannot unite to fight against all its wrongdoings, but they are wrong. The PNC is now more united than it ever was; those of us who are left are conscious of the fact that the AFC is now a bourgeois party.
The government and the police must stop attempting to take away the basic human rights of the people of Guyana; the people will not stand for it.
Yours faithfully,
Clive Fredericks
