Dear Editor,
The recent protest marches and picketing by the real opposition parties, accompanied by the shades of parties past, was as usual noisy and interesting.
An Emmy should be given to the lady caught on television during a picketing exercise, declaring to all and sundry that their exercise was peaceful, with probable reference to the three ‘Musketeers’ outside Police Headquarters Eve Leary, and the fate that befell them. Kudos should be given to the persons responsible for the effigy of Dr Ramsammy and the efficient use thereof.
It was rather interesting to note that a placard carried by one of the protesters had written on it the word, ‘Genocide.’ The term ‘genocide,’ reminds one of Rwanda in 1994, when there was a systematic approach by one group (Hutus) to deliberately eliminate another (Tutsis), the end result being the slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The number of persons killed exceeded the population of Guyana.
Based on the wording of the placard, I came to the conclusion that the organizers of the protest were implying that the present Government of Guyana had committed an act of genocide against a particular ethnic group in Guyana. Such an atrocity cannot be swept under the carpet. I checked therefore to confirm whether there was any United Nations report on the alleged genocide in Guyana; there was none.
However, to further satisfy myself, I consulted several dictionaries to ascertain the meaning and definitions of the word ‘genocide.’
The Oxford Concise, defined ‘genocide’ as “the mass extermination of human beings of a particular race or nation – Rwanda, Jewish Holocaust, Bosnia, are examples of genocide. The definitions and meanings in other manuals, were the same as in the Oxford Concise.
Now, the persons or groups who commit genocide, are called ‘genocidaires’ (the word is extracted from the book, Shake hands with the devil). I was unable to identify or locate any in Guyana.
I therefore came to the conclusion that the politicians in Guyana were playing a dangerous game, by the use of certain words to inflame the passions of their supporters against a certain ethnic group or political party. I wish to say to all politicians to desist from the use of such inflammatory words during their picketing and protest marches.
Yours faithfully,
C.S. Vaughn
Major (Rtd)
