Dear Editor,
Fishermen and residents of the Corentyne Coast have been on the receiving end of the wrath of piracy, which seems to have become the new trend of criminal attack on Guyanese. Over the past few weeks the local newspapers have been inundated with reports of pirate attacks on our citizens. These high seas criminals beat, rob, and sometimes kill their victims. The fact is the pirate invasions of our waters have been with us for some time; however, within recent years the upsurge in this form of attack has become staggering. The start of 2012 has not given us any indication that the problem of piracy will be halted, quite the contrary.
I recall during his many speeches on the APNU campaign trail, that Mr David Granger, now Leader of the Opposition, dealt forcefully with the issue of piracy. In fact at one meeting he went on not just to outline the problem but put forward possible solutions. Piracy, he informed residents gathered at one meeting, is a serious security problem which must be addressed and dealt with forcefully if we are to ensure that people are able to work and live with a feeling of security in their own communities.
I am not sure how many of us were listening to Mr Granger, or even recognize that the issue of piracy is indeed very grave; many keep looking at issues through the lens of a political party. The debate on serious issues seems to be affected by the lens through which one looks, and does not focus on the issue itself. I believe that the PPP/C government either does not recognize piracy as a threat to the internal security of our people for which reason it considers it does not warrant the state’s resources or attention, or the government has no clue about how to deal with the problem. How else can you explain the government’s apparent lack of passion, focus or interest in going after pirates who are continuing to cause havoc on our waters, leaving victims and their families in a state of perpetual pain.
I believe that it is time the government mustered all the help it can get to launch an aggressive campaign to arrest piracy in our waters. For too long we have allowed the pirates to feel that they are in control. We have watched good citizens rush out to sea to help those being attacked by vicious bands of pirates, only to learn of their tragic death in stormy waters. The question is where were the government forces which should have been leading this rescue operation? The answer is they are not equipped with the requisite resources to go after pirates. I guess we will not hear the PPP/C government take some responsibility, since it does not ever do so.
Now that fishermen on the East Coast have protested I wonder what will be the reaction from the government. Is the answer giving the fishermen shotguns to defend themselves, or equipping the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and the relevant security agencies to effectively confront these high-seas criminals? Would we prefer to have the fishermen work at ease knowing that there are security forces patrolling the seas? It is hoped that the government would adopt and support this approach which represents a more comprehensive, long-term effort to suppress piracy.
Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor
