THE marauding gang of about 10 armed men, which on January 26 last, cold-bloodedly killed 11 residents in the community of Lusignan on the East Coast of Demerara, is not the normal criminal gang.

This view was proffered by Government’s Adviser on Governance, Ms. Gail Teixeira, on Thursday afternoon, shortly after a walkout by the main opposition from the National Assembly, as a result of a ruling on a motion which went against them on account of a procedural failure.

Ms. Teixeira’s remarks were also in response to a question posed to Prime Minister Sam Hinds by a reporter, of whether the government “has already drawn the line”, in that the killings as the PM had earlier said was “clearly a racial problem.”

Remarking that in asking the question the focus was “at the wrong way”; Teixeira categorically stated that the government has made it clear that the particular gang is not a normal criminal gang.

According to Ms. Teixeira the gang has a terroristic agenda pointing out that terror is based on creating fear and trying to create tension between different ethnic groups.

“It obviously is motivated by political objectives which are those which we have said are diabolical master minds, we are not saying it is ‘Fire Man’, we think there are others who are behind this and they are obviously motivated also in some cases by racial prejudices,” she added.

“This is not a regular criminal gang, it is a gang that has specific activities that are meant to terrorise people and also to undermine the sanctity of life in Guyana, public safety and national security,” hence, the issue of whether the gunmen who attacked Lusignan are one ethnic group or not is not the issue, Teixeira emphasised.

Recalling that she grew up in the 1960s where people were hired to create mayhem in different villages based on different combinations, she said those born in that era are quite aware of what can trigger ethnic violence.

And according to her, it is the belief of the Government that the Lusignan massacre was intended “to trigger ethnic insecurity.”

On this note, Teixeira reiterated that the issue of whether the members were of one ethnic group or not, is of little standing and “we can’t tell that as we weren’t there.”

“The point is somebody is leading this group with extremist views who want to create ethnic instability in Guyana between the different ethnic groups and we have to take an unequivocal position, not a soft approach that we are opposed to terrorism, people who have taken a peaceful village (Buxton) and turned it into an occupied zone.

“They have terrorised the citizens of Buxton, many people have had to run out of Buxton, living in all sorts of temporary arrangements, ordinary people who are workers and public servants and so on. No one has raised a voice to champion those people who cannot go back to their village.

“In addition to that, we know that the gang since 2002 has murdered people in Buxton, they’ve burnt people’s homes, they’ve chopped off people’s heads, they’ve done dastardly acts to terrorise the population to comply,” she said.

During a debate also on the issue last Thursday in the National Assembly, Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford made reference to the murder of the young Guyana Defence Force soldier, Corporal Ivor Williams.

Williams was killed when the vehicle in which he and colleague soldiers were travelling from Berbice, was ambushed by armed gunmen in the troubled village of Buxton.

According to Westford, the young soldier who had pledged to protect this country and its people did not die as a result of active engagement in fire fight, rather he was murdered because the driver of his patrol vehicle dared to pass through Company Road, Buxton where “the band of criminals were having regular drinks and listening to music.”

However, despite the soldier’s description of what occurred, the minister said it was surprising in the aftermath of the attack, “not one of the residents saw anything. Some of them residing in close proximity to the gauntlet area even had the audacity to say that they didn’t hear anything because their radios or TVs were playing loudly.”

She noted that it is not the first time that members of the disciplined forces came under fire in Buxton by bandits who were safely secured in buildings that are known to be legitimate dwelling houses or business places.

“It is therefore obvious, and even a severely mentally retarded person can deduce that specified areas in Buxton are safe havens for the bandits,” she posited, adding it is mid boggling as to why the esteemed leader of the opposition refuses to publicly admit that Buxton is a safe haven for bandits.

Westford spoke too of the outpouring of condemnation and sympathies as it relates to the 11 Lusignan victims, but that the leaders of the opposition parties have described the incident as merely brutal and horrific.

Asking whether it was merely a brutal or horrific attack on the 11 victims by bandits, Westford who opined that it was “a massacre,” added that it is a word the opposition had refused to use when talking about the issue.

Westford also made mention of a former talk show host who has been known to advocate the overthrow of the Government and for having ties to criminal gangs in Buxton and else, visiting a house in Lusignan which is adjacent to the home of one of the massacre between Christmas and New Year’s Day, last year, to distribute toys to children in the area.

“It is strange and must be noted that the house where this person visited was spared of any attack.

It is even more strange that someone who had cared so much for the children and distributed gifts to them, including some of the murdered victims never condemned the massacre, or even revisited the community to offer condolences,” the Minister remarked. Westford spoke too of some human rights activists and politicians who aid and abet criminals to commit more dastardly acts aimed at destablising the country, even as the government and security forces have been strategising and fighting criminals and insurrectionists.

She also chided members of the opposition who were elected by the people to protect their interests, for attending the funerals of bandits who are given a grand sendoff by their friends and associates.

The draping of their bodies in the sacred National Flag of the country, Westford saw as a sacrilege and a shame.