Dear Editor,
I wish to extend sympathy to the family of E R Braithwaite on his passing.
He lived a long and full life and contributed to literature and education greatly. I always recognized him as a man of high principles who stood up for his beliefs.
He was our first representative to the United Nations where he stood up not only for Guyana, but for the interest of the Third World.
Indeed he resigned from that position in disgust at the fact that, as an independent country, we were being dictated to, and that he could not take. In an interview he gave after resigning from the diplomatic service he said that he resigned from his post as Ambassador to the UN because while he was at the UN pursuing policies he thought were in the interest of Guyana and in solidarity with the Third World, in Georgetown the US Ambassador was telling the Prime Minister what line and posture he should take. That went against his grain.
He was not prepared to be a servant to a neo-colonial state.
Edward Braithwaite made a tangible contribution to the promotion of multi-culturalism in our world. His works as an author were major contributions to world literature and to greater understanding between different cultures.
I felt great pleasure, when I bestowed on him one of our highest awards for his contribution to our country and the world.
May his soul rest in peace.
Yours faithfully,
Donald Ramotar
Former President
