Dear Editor,
The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) joins other civil society organisations and concerned citizens across the country and diaspora in condemning the recent spate of police killings of 18-year old Ron Sommerset; 46-year old Ivan Lewis; 18-year old Shemroy Bouyea; 17-year old Shaquille Grant; and most recently, 21-year old Dameon Belgrave. As a human-rights organization, SASOD is compelled to remind the state and its agents, particularly the Guyana Police Force, that every citizen has a right to life under the Guyana constitution and this fundamental right must be respected.
It cannot be ‘business as usual’ while the police kill innocent citizens in our streets – flagrant violation of human rights.
We call on our elected officials in the National Assembly to address this deadly trend as a matter of extreme urgency.
We call on the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and United Nations bodies to join the Guyanese human rights community in condemning these extra-judicial killings.
We call on all Guyanese – at home and abroad – to use peaceful means to resist these acts of state violence. The Guyana Police Force which is constitutionally mandated to protect and serve is now a threat to citizen security. Their modus operandi seems to be ‘shoot and kill.’
Guyana needs justice for Ron Sommerset, Ivan Lewis, Shemroy Bouyea, Shaquille Grant and Dameon Belgrave. We must end these extra-judicial killings in our dear land.
Yours faithfully,
Alex Fraser
Alistair Sonaram
Anton Rocke
Felicia Ramjohn
Joel Simpson
Keimo Benjamin
Korey Chisholm
Nastassia Rambaran
Renuka Anandjit
Richard Pitman
Ulelli Verbeke
Zenita Nicholson
