Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Jagdeo

The government must not try to weasel itself from its legitimate responsibilities.

The government is obligated to intervene to ensure that Mr. Roger Khan, a Guyanese national, is accorded at the minimum, the basic rights and privileges entitled to CARICOM nationals being prosecuted in the judicial system of Suriname.

Regardless of what our opinions are, he must be the recipient of rights guaranteed under the democratic principles by which all sister-CARICOM nations operate, and abide with.

The claims of this Guyanese citizen being subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment while in the custody of Suriname police, must be investigated immediately, and if found to be true, condemned wholly. The government should retain a legal team in this matter immediately.

As the Surinamese have moved from one form of charge to another, making inconsistent statements, there is need for verification by the Government of Guyana that what this Guyanese national is to be tried for is indeed based upon legitimately acquired evidence, and not what may have been assembled through illegal or coercive if not tortuous means.

In our country where the very police commissioner is being made to answer to charges of having (allegedly) planned to plant drugs on a Guyanese national, the government must not assume that the police system of Suriname is a convent operated by bishops and nuns. Further, it is well known that Guyanese nationals are not well received in certain Caribbean territories (e.g., Barbados), and this fact should emphasize the need for Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Rudy Insanally, to likewise intervene.

Mr. Khan should be returned to Guyana for he is, apparently, in possession of very critical intelligence pertaining to the very security and future of Guyana.

Until such information regarding an alleged intended coup involving the PNCR and other bodies, to force a new government upon the people of Guyana is verified, Mr. Khan remains of immense importance.

If the Guyana police under Commissioner Felix issued “wanted” bulletins for legitimate reasons, and not because of the commissioner’s personal vendetta, then the police must maintain its interest in Mr. Khan.

Therefore, it must issue an immediate statement and if it fails to do so, the public must necessarily assert that those bulletins were mere concoctions created under a false guise to “ferret” (as per PNCR) Mr. Khan to commit the illegal act of trespassing into Surinamese territory, and thereafter facilitate pre-election disturbances to benefit the aforementioned coup and illegal government into being.

It is vital that all political parties be reminded that ours is not the business to sacrifice their countrymen and women in order to reap favours from external agencies (e.g., U.S.).

The PNCR especially should take note. It has gone on record in Linden that it wants to get answers from Khan regarding alleged “phantom” activities.

Well, if the PNCR is serious, it must also ask that Khan be returned to Guyana and not be sent to the U.S.

Only if Khan is inside Guyana, can the PNCR get its answers. If we do not see this call, then Mr. Robert Corbin was fooling the people in Linden.

In similar light, those “civic” groups should now re-emerge and also call for Khan to be returned to Guyana; since they have publicly demonstrated their faith in the “rule of law” and “due process,” the public expects a statement asking for the same rights to be accorded to Mr. Khan in Suriname.

Should they fail to do so, then the public would regard their previous statement as bogus.

Finally, the PPP/C Government ought to be very careful. People are not blind: we know well that the Joint Services are not looking for any guns, but are doing the groundwork for something else.

Any attempt to walk away from the Khan trial may lead to a serious backlash.

People are extremely angry, and rightfully so.
RAKESH RAMPERTAB

Saturday, June 24, 2006