Dear Editor,
In 2004 in I worked with members of the Haitian community in Jamaica, teaching English whilst engaged in other humanitarian assistance to them. This experience taught me a lot and deepened my understanding on what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange country, faced with many difficulties like language barriers and the contempt meted out to them by other Caribbean nationals who know little of the real history of that powerful nation which brought an end to chattel slavery. Additionally, being an Indigenous Amerindian Guyanese man of the Lokono people, I learnt a lot from the Haitians, for example, I was taught ‘Haiti’ actually belongs to the Taino language and mean “High Land” plus a few others words in French Creole. The Haitians are wonderful people and very hard working. My experience working with my Haitian brethren and sistren in such a sad situation cultivated a spirit in me, a Guyanese and Caribbean person, to be in solidarity with those who it may be said are on the “margins of society” and to be viewed as ‘HUMAN’ and not to be treated inhumanely. It also helped me to no longer think in terms of ‘them’ and ‘those’, but only ‘us’ in a world of growing anti-immigrant sentiments practiced by those in power.
Unfortunately, my empathy and understanding of Haitians contrasts with those in authority in Guyana, where I read in the news that Haitian Nationals are being singled out at our ports of entry thus denying them freedom of movement and subjecting them to physical and psychological conditions of detention without any consideration for their integrity and wellbeing. Editor, not because these people are migrants, means that as a collective they are all engaged in human trafficking or other evil acts which for the most times, are the labels being attached to them. Some are genuine people who are only trying to help each other in a different country. When I worked in Brazil a few years ago I also found the Haitians there to be decent working people, even though, yes, a few can dirty the water for the rest in different situations. Nevertheless, in today’s modern world those who can afford it are free to travel anywhere and their fundamental human rights should not be trampled upon. This being said, there are two types of travelers: the privilege ones like (you and me) and the desperate ones, those whose lives are stark reminders of the inequalities and callousness of the place we call the Caribbean; the pretense of a community which is really a classist hierarchy compounded in certain states by anti-black racism.
The exodus of Haitians from their homeland for other shores over the years triggered by externally manipulated bad governments has been a cause for concern for many in the Caribbean and elsewhere who share their plight and suffering. Their sad reality calls for an understanding of their situation through an empathic lens, since Guyanese have had similar experiences fleeing from bad governments including being accused of taking others illegally to greener pastures for better life and job opportunities. We know that the immigration authorities should comply with the laws of Guyana but they should not be singling out Haitians entering the country. Although the state has signed on to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (hereinafter “RTC”) and other international conventions calling for free movement of nationals and the respect of human rights, the government of Guyana still engages in denying Haitian nationals the most basic human rights, i.e. equal treatment under the law, due process and the right to be treated with dignity inter alia, while Cubans, Sri Lankans, Chinese, are generally treated differently.
Being in solidarity with our Haitian brothers and sisters I believe the two Haitians in prison Junette Jean and Wilbert Fremont should be released and be allowed to continue on their destination to re-unite with their family and loved ones. Their imprisonment in Guyana is a violation of their human rights as citizens of a free world. This being said, how would we feel if we were in their situation? Furthermore, Caribbean leaders need to relentlessly put pressure on the Haitian Government to fix its internal economic and social insecurities and also defend its nationals who face constant human rights violation outside of their own country. Is it possible for Guyana to present a positive example of a country to the rest of the Caribbean? It would be a timely juxtaposition to the current trend where our authorities clearly show how myopic they are while hypocritically using the rhetoric evoking ‘Caribbean family’ but in reality perpetuating the colonial policy which creates the “other” by directing such dehumanizing terms as ‘foreign nationals’, ‘illegal aliens’ and ‘refugees’ to those living in existential peripheries of the modern world.
Sincerely.
Medino Abraham
