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Eleven
PIOs Killed in Deadly Guyana Massacre
In an unprecedented execution style massacre, 11
persons of Indian origin were shot dead in their homes in the village of
Lusignan on the East Coast of Guyana 10 miles east of the capital city
of Georgetown. The victims were all killed by gunshots while they slept,
including 5 children ranging from 4 years to 12 years old. The victims
are: Raywattie Ramsingh, 11, her father Rooplall Seecharran, 56, her
mother Dhanrajie Ramsingh, called Sister, 52; Clarence Thomas, his son
Ron, 11, daughter, Vanessa, 12; Mohandai Gourdat, 32, her two children:
Seegobind Harilall, 4 years-old and Seegopaul, 10; and Shalem Baksh, 52;
and Shazam Mohammed. The injured are Howard Thomas, 19, Nadir Mohamed,
48, and Roberto Thomas age 5.
Once report said: A gang of marauding gunmen
created havoc in the East Coast Demerara village of Lusignan killing 11
persons, including five children, in one of the deadliest attacks in
recent years”. President Bharrat Jagdeo President Bharrat Jagdeo has
described “the shooting incident in the community of Lusignan early
this morning as an act aimed at spreading terror on the East Coast
Demerara and in the country”. President Jagdeo said “This morning
our country awoke to the sad news that 11 persons were gunned down in a
brutal, cowardly act by criminals. I say cowardly because only sick,
demented cowards could kill defenseless children”. The President
declared a national day of mourning in their honor as widespread anger,
disbelief and grief were in full display from the time of this tragedy
and continued through the funerals. Family, friends and strangers alike
mourn the loss of innocent lives in this senseless carnage.
BOUNTY ON GUYANAESE INDIANS’ KILLER
The government of Guyana has offered a reward of
$150,000 for fugitive Rondell Rawlins who is believed to be behind the
massacre of 11 people of Indian origin last Saturday. An official of the
Guyana Police confirmed that Rawlins, a former soldier of the Guyana
Defence Force, was on the run and all efforts were being made to capture
him dead or alive. There are reports that he is dead, but police cannot
confirm this.
Guyanese of Indian origin are in a state of shock
since the massacre of the 11 people in Lusignan village, about 15 km
from capital Georgetown. Most residents of the village are of Indian
origin.
The ethnic Indian community has launched
protests, condemning the government for failing to offer them safety and
security.
President Bharrat Jagdeo has sought assistance
from the United States and other developed nations to provide more aid
to the country’s impoverished security forces. The roughly 3,000
police officers and 2,000 soldiers of the country are ill equipped to
handle the threat posed by increasingly brazen gangs.
GOPIO CONDEMNS BRUTAL MURDERS IN GUYANA
The Global Organization of People of Indian
Origin (GOPIO) expresses strong and unequivocal condemnation of the
execution-style murders of eleven Guyanese of Indian origin that took
place in Lusignan in Guyana on January 26, 2008. GOPIO strongly and
categorically condemns this most blatant and reprehensible act of crime
against innocent people, including small children. We share the shock,
pain and anguish of family and friends of the victims and extend our
heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and relatives of the
victims and offer prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured.
We grieve at the inhumane, uncivilized and
blatant act of murder perpetrated on the innocent within a select ethnic
group seemingly directed to create fear and insecurity on the population
at large. We urge that all the people in Guyana stand together and
denounce such acts of crime and violence. We are hopeful that the
security forces will apprehend the murderers promptly and bring the
perpetrators of this ghastly crime to justice as expeditiously as
possible. We particularly urge the Government of Guyana to promptly take
all necessary steps to ensure there is no repetition of attacks of any
type targeted against people of Indian origin or any ethnic group.
Yesu Persaud, Chairman of GOPIO of Guyana, voiced
his strong condemnation of the murders, stating that “the
indiscriminate wanton acts of terrorizing and killing eleven persons of
Indian origin, including five children in their beds, are blatant acts
of crime against humanity and must be condemned by all persons
irrespective of origin in every part of the world”.
Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of GOPIO
International, stated that, “GOPIO is truly saddened and distressed by
the savage murder of so many innocent people of Indian origin, including
children at sleep. Dr Abraham continued that, “we call on the
Government of Guyana to promptly take all necessary steps to quickly
bring the murderers to justice, to prevent such acts of violence in the
future and to provide safety and security for its citizens”.
“People of Indian origin throughout the Indian
Diaspora are generally a peaceful, law abiding ethnic group and have
contributed tremendously to their respective country’s economic growth
and progress”, said Inder Singh, President of GOPIO International.
“Attacks on any one group are not in the interest of progress and
peaceful co-existence, nor in the national interest”. Singh further
stated that, “GOPIO urges the Government of Guyana to initiate needed
steps as a matter of urgency to further nurture and promote peaceful
co-existence among people of the various ethnic groups living in Guyana
in order to prevent such attacks in the future”.
Lord Diljit Rana, Executive Vice President of
GOPIO International (House of Lords, UK), said “I am very saddened at
the killing of innocent people in racial savagery. The Government of
Guyana and the world community need to take strong action against the
culprits responsible for this heinous act. Such dastardly acts do not
help anyone or any group”, he urged.
“With due consideration and recognition that
guaranteed security for a country’s population and swift and just
application of the rule of law are the cornerstone of a progressive
society”, stated Guyanese born Ashook Ramsaran, Secretary General of
GOPIO International, “we call on the Government of Guyana to take all
necessary steps to provide needed security and peace of mind for its
people, in particular those who continue to be the target of such brutal
attacks in Guyana”.
“It is criminal act against innocent people and
all efforts should promptly be made to bring the perpetrators to justice
as quickly as possible, with reassurance by law enforcement agencies
that the safety of the citizens of Guyana is of paramount importance”,
said Ambassador Krishna Nandoe, Vice President of GOPIO Caribbean
Region.
For more information, please contact Inder Singh,
President of GOPIO International at gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net
or by telephone at +1-818-708-3885 or Ashook Ramsaran, Secretary
General, at ramsaran@aol.com or by telephone at
+1-718-939-8194 or Yesu Persaud, Chairman of GOPIO of Guyana, at ypersaud@demrum.com or by telephone at
+0592-226-2135.
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