President tells Berbicians Security Forces need to be supported
-says some media outlets trying to justify killings

Georgetown, GINA, March 03, 2008

Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday told those gathered at Babu John, Port Mourant Berbice to mark the eleventh death anniversary of late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan that Guyanese are faced with a struggle where several sections of the media are sending confusing messages in their efforts to justify criminal acts, such as those perpetrated at Lusignan and Bartica recently.
            “We are hearing so many theories of what is taking place today in our country. Some sensible and others are outright ridiculous. There are these views on our public airwaves. You’ve got to understand that a significant part of these views as expressed by certain television stations and by some media outlets, are not un-co-ordinated. They are very co-ordinated, with a central design to paint a particular picture of our country and they all have an objective,” the President told the gathering. 
              He cited the recent criminal attacks at Bartica and Lusignan which left close to two dozen persons dead and noted that everyone could describe them as the height of criminality and refer to the killers as psychopaths who should be hunted down and killed and that there should be no equivocation about it. Yet, a significant section of media houses in the country and the people behind them are trying to find a justification for the killings, President Jagdeo underscored.
            He noted that it was the same media which said that there is no root cause for terrorism when the United States was attacked by terrorists and 3,000 people were killed. .    “Some of them today are trying to find a reason why these people killed innocent people in their beds in Lusignan and why they slaughtered people in Bartica. They say there is a root cause for this. It is because the PPP is marginalising 50 percent of the population. Some of them are saying that and they are saying that the only way to overcome this is to have power-sharing,” the Head of State contended.
            He said that those opposing the Government are arguing that if there is power- sharing then such killings would not take place.
            “So they are in effect saying that they can control these killers because if they are a part of the Government, then these people won’t kill. It is a backdoor way,” the Guyanese Leader told the gathering, and he explained that during a meeting with civil society, one representative noted that this tactic and undemocratic move was used in other Latin American countries.
               “Many people would like a backdoor way to political power. They don’t want to face elections. They don’t want to face the democratic process. They will jump on any hardship that people have to swerve it to suit their political end. Many times I think about them as vultures, as carrion crows, people circling, waiting for hardships. Every time you have a flood, they will land down there because it is an opportunity to say the rain fall too much, blame the Government,” President Jagdeo explained.
            He pointed out that what is needed is for all citizens to support the security forces to apprehend the murderers so that the turmoil can end, adding that though he cannot promise that such a tragedy would not occur again, he could promise that the security forces will be provided with all they need to apprehend the killers.          
             “That’s the only way it will end. It’s the only way because as one person suggested, we should talk to them, but they are not going to listen to reason. Anyone who could look at a child lying asleep and shoot that child is not someone that you can reason with!” the President asserted.
            On this note he said that the struggle cannot end until the perpetrators of the heinous crimes are brought to justice. 
            President Jagdeo stated that Government will continue its work to develop Guyana and pointed to those who may be holding bitter grudges from the past and who may not mind seeing Guyana’s future generation inherit a desert for a country.

            He urged the gathering to continue to struggle so that this would not happen and so that their children could have a better future. He also urged them to ensure that Guyana does not go down an undemocratic path and to focus on the message of the late Leader who fought to restore democracy in Guyana.

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