Editorial Viewpoint
AT THIS very challenging period of rampant criminality, the people of Guyana have to strive to avoid becoming numb to the barbaric massacres and other acts of murder and armed robberies committed in various communities by ruthless criminals driven by hate and greed.

The waste of human lives by the criminal rampage rocking too many countries of our region, with varying consequences for families, security forces, governments, private sector and other stakeholders, will feature in the discussion on ‘crime and security’ at this week’s CARICOM Summit in Antigua and Barbuda.

In the case of Guyana — one of three most crime-affected CARICOM States, (Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago being the others) — for its people to succumb to the terror of the criminal enterprise would be to live with constant fear of those who have no respect for the rule of law.

This is evidenced by their murderous deeds against innocent children, women and men in the three most outrageous, horrific human tragedies this year — Lusignan, Bartica and, just this past week, at Lindo Creek in the Berbice River area.

More than ever, Guyanese must demonstrate awareness of their individual and collective responsibilities to be involved in the fight to reclaim the right to a safe and secured environment by helping the law enforcing agencies arrest the downward slide to the lawlessness engineered by armed criminal networks.

These barbarians, some originally protected in communities, or defended by those who should have known better, deserve no sympathies for the terrible damage they have done to the image of Guyana and the trauma being suffered by honest, law abiding citizens of every ethnic, religious and political segment of this nation.

The reaffirmation of confidence in the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force that came last week from the government in the face of some calculated attempts to undermine their credibility, following the bizarre Lindo Creek massacre of eight miners, is timely and appropriate.

Hopefully, it would also have the positive impact of the security forces being much more committed to achieving success in the war against criminality and, at the same time, ensuring that within their own ranks, all are standing firmly against corruption, nepotism and incompetence, and, therefore, deserving of robust public support.

At some stage, and without prejudice to the investigations being pursued by the security forces, it may become necessary for the government to consider an independent inquiry into the massacres of Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek.

Such an initiative should not be confused with an already prompt commitment by President Bharrat Jagdeo to “full, transparent investigations” by the security forces, with support of technical assistance requested from the USA, and for the findings to be made public.

Separate from the nature of the work being done by the intelligence and crime units of the security forces, there are a range of issues that could be pursued by an independent commission, comprising individuals of recognised national/regional stature and integrity, into the barbarism of Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek.

Indeed, depending on its terms of reference, such a probe commission could be good for the reputation of the security forces, as it may well be for the government’s own commitment to a law and order environment.

It could also have the effect of stimulating public confidence that no stone is being left unturned to learn the whole truth about the massacres of Lindo Creek, Bartica and Lusignan.

Hopefully, long before an independent, empowered inquiry commission is established into the nightmare atrocities of Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek, the criminals currently on the run would have been captured and, along with their allies, placed under tight security to face court trials.