In wake of concerns raised by the Attorney General, the Cuffy250 Committee has announced a one-week postponement of its planned forum on the state of African Guyanese, which was due to be held today.
In a brief statement issued on Saturday, the Committee noted the Attorney General’s letter to the editor raising concerns over the premise of the forum.
“The basic question is simply this: “Is it now unconstitutional and illegal to hold a virtual forum on the state of African Guyanese titled Resisting the Emerging Apartheid State?”” it stated.
In a letter published in the August 20 edition of Stabroek News, Attorney General Anil Nandlall noted that even insinuate that an apartheid policy or system is emerging in Guyana is absolutely outrageous.
He noted that the State, by virtue of Article 149 of the Constitution, guarantees protection to every citizen against discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity, religion etc, and has also signed and ratified every major international treaty in this hemisphere which outlaws racial and ethnic discrimination.
Additionally, he noted that Article 160 A (1) states: “All persons, institutions and political parties are prohibited from taking any action or advancing, disseminating or communicating any idea which may result in racial or ethnic division among the people.’’
Nandlall said that while the sponsors of the event would no doubt invoke their constitutional right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 146 of the Constitution, Article 146 (3) excludes “hate speeches or other expressions, in whatever forms, capable of exciting hostility or ill-will against any person or class of persons.’’
He also adverted to the Racial Hostilities Act, which makes provision for preventing conduct tending to excite hostility or ill will against persons by reason of their race. “There are many other pieces of legislation on the statute books of Guyana which outlaw racial and ethnic discrimination of every form and manner,” he added.
According to the Committee, it is fully aware of views about the title that follow parallel but widely separate tracks. One track, it said, for a host of reasons holds the view that the title is too harsh and totally inappropriate. The other track, it added, sees the title as too weak and unfocused. “It could have been, for a different set of reasons, “Resisting the Existing Apartheid Conditions,”” it further added.
The statement said since 2013 the forum has had panelists fully discuss the state (condition) of African Guyanese without censure.
“The unexpected threat implied by the Office of the AG signals that something has emerged that was never there before 2022,” it said.
“In light of the AG’s threat, Cuffy250 is consulting its lawyers on whether the AG’s letter jeopardizes the right to free speech,” it added, while announcing that the forum has been postponed until August 28, 2022 to clarify the basic question.