The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is up in arms over the institution of “acts of terrorism” charges against citizens fingered in an unruly protest action last year along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).
Back in June, chaos erupted at Mon Repos where persons at the community market were attacked, robbed and their properties destroyed by protestors. Those attacks were carried out after an online agency erroneously reported that a cop, who stood accused of shooting a civilian, had been released.
Earlier this year, villagers at Hopetown resorted to torching a vehicle and beating the driver after he allegedly struck down two villagers who were on an electric scooter. Four days before that incident, residents at Buxton torched a truck and beat a driver in response to drug enforcement officials nabbing a man with over 50 lbs of marijuana in his car’s trunk.
The Guyana Police Force subsequently issued wanted bulletins for several persons who were allegedly involved in the Mon Repos unrest.
But the People’s National Congress (PNCR) disagrees with the approach.
See full statement from the party issued on Friday:
The PNCR utterly rejects the government’s use of the anti-terrorism provision in the Criminal Law (Offences) Act to bring charges against citizens of the country. Since last week, over ten persons have been charged by the Guyana Police Force for so-called “acts of terrorism”. Guyanese must note that the anti-terrorism section in the Criminal Law (Offences) law was introduced as an amendment in 2002 by the notorious Ronald Gajraj, the then Minister of Home Affairs. It was, and remains, a wicked piece of legislation created by a man who masterminded Phantom squads and extra-judicial killings.
The PPP government is now maliciously using the anti-terrorism law to deal with alleged acts of larceny and hooliganism. The PPP’s motive is clear: to intimidate and scare citizens from exercising their constitutional freedoms of association and peaceful demonstration. Such intimidation of citizens is state terrorism in itself. To deal with crimes, the proper course of action is for the Police Force to be depoliticized, professionalized, and well-equipped. Turning Guyanese citizens into Osama bin Ladens is a senseless and depraved approach to crime-fighting.
The use of the so-called anti-terrorism legislation will only serve to undermine human rights and democracy. It is even likely to create more political instability in the country. The government must come to its senses and drop all such charges immediately.
The law also violates international conventions. It is excessive, needless, and counter-productive. It may even no longer exist on the books. While the PNCR does not condone criminal activity, we will continue to defend the human and constitutional rights of all Guyanese.
