The
military has not protected citizens
Dear Editor,
During the era of PNC rule, the military was
heavily politicized. The PPP/C, when it came
to office in 1992, understood the dangers that a
politicized military posed and went about its
dealings with sensitivity or, depending on how you
look at it, with obsequiousness, never failing to
pay due respect to the military and its alleged
great work.
Two
'assholes',
President Jagdeo and former
Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana
Defence Force (GDF) Brigadier General Michael Atherly
During the period of PNC rule the military was
routinely brought out in the streets patrolling sugar
estates when there were strikes, patrolling
the city when there were demonstrations and, more
notoriously, collecting and holding ballot boxes
after elections.
President's
answers were not satisfactory
At the present time there is no doubt about the
capability of the military. Its
holding of
several
men
recently with high-powered arms
and equipment indicates that it has all the
skills and resources to do the same with the
bandits who are roaming the streets creating chaos
and killing our policemen and innocent
citizens. Yet the military has not
displayed the same kind of keenness in capturing
criminals and defending the population.
The government of the PPP/C has no grounds to
display any confidence in the military and the
expressions of support in the past were misplaced.
Now that the military has been put to the test it
has miserably failed the people of Guyana. Instead
of capturing criminals in Buxton, it is playing
football. Instead of protecting
citizens, more and more people are being killed
and kidnapped in Buxton and the surrounding
villages. Instead of supporting policing groups it
harasses them as in Non Pareil and Enmore. The
military should be removed from Buxton and
expenditure on it should be reduced in this
year’s budget. The amount saved should be spent
on our intrepid policemen who are under manned,
under equipped and underpaid.
Yours faithfully,
Rajesh
Persaud