PPP/C attempting to deflect attention from real issues’

Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones has said the actions of the PPP/C administration towards the recent barbaric murder of the two teens from Berbice, is distasteful.

In fact, he described the statements issued by the administration as insincere and means absolutely nothing.”

Jones expressed these sentiments at the massive protest at The Square of the Revolution on Tuesday.

He told the Village Voice that he attended the protest, not as a political affiliate, but as a human being, and a father, to show his solidarity with the mourning people on the West Coast Berbice.

“I don’t know who the organisers were, but we saw the flyer circulating on Facebook, calling persons to come out and lend their voices and support for the family of the youngsters who were slaughtered in West Coast, Berbice. And by virtue of being a human being, this cuts across all political divide. Once you’re a human being, this was an opportunity for you to come out and have your presence felt, to further demonstrate your disgust in the manner in which these boys were slaughtered. And call upon the police to exercise restraint, and the Guyana Defense Force,” Jones said.

He said that the exercise in Georgetown is to signal to the people in West Coast Berbice that “We are with you. We are in solidarity with you. To the mothers of the Henry boys, we are in sympathy with you. Our hearts are broken for your loss. More so as a parent, if you sit silently and say nothing, and don’t demonstrate, it allows atrocities like those to repeat itself.”

Jones expressed his discontent and disgust with how the situation is being dealt with by the relevant authorities.

“The people in West Coast Berbice are protesting their legitimate discontent, and the protest is nothing strange all the world over, but it is how you mange those activities. But now to see the Guyana Defense Force and the Guyana Police Force heading up into the villages shooting teargas and rubber bullets, indiscriminately as if they are in a battle field. Uncalled for! Totally uncalled for,” he told the Village Voice.

Lamenting further “And it is not sufficient for you to tell us three persons arrested, five persons arrested, it is not a charge, it is not a proven offense. We want to see expediency, in that, the perpetrators are identified and charged for murder. And of course, passed through the courts, with dispatch. Not to hear the court matter will come up six months from now, we don’t want to hear that. This is an issue of grave national importance and it requires a speed response throughout the police and judicial system, and that is why we are here today.”

Speaking his sentiments on how the government has responded to the recent murders, Jones said what the country saw on Monday was a deliberate attempt by the PPP to deflect attention from what has been happening, and what has happened in Berbice, by throwing out what is going to come in the budget.

“Oh we’re going to give pensioners 25,000 a month. That tells you that while they put out pious statements about their hearts are broken, it tells you clearly, that these are just pious statements, means absolutely nothing. On one hand they issued a statement that they are in sympathy, and immediately on the other hand, they say ‘meanwhile, this is what is coming in the budget’. It is to deflect people’s attention from the real issues that we have in this country that has not been addressed for a number of years, and that is at it relates to race. And now using the forces to suppress people’s legitimate right to protest and demonstrate,” he said.

While displeased with the actions, Jones also said “When you speak of the PPP, these are the atrocities we are accustomed to when the PPP is in office. Now being there for thirty something days, and you see the same playbook already, it just proves that this is who they are. The playbook of hate crimes, in which Africans can’t go into an East Indian village, and then you see the police being used politically… But this demonstration is to show the people of Berbice that we in Georgetown stand with you. And we will continue to stand with you.”