November 27, 2023
Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay
President, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)
Re: Requesting a meeting with the IACHR Team
Dear Commissioner Macaulay,
Benschop Radio 107. 1FM requests a meeting with a delegation from IACHR to discuss human rights violations in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and those suffered as social activists.
As owner and Managing Director of Benschop Radio 107.1FM, the opportunity is taken to request a meeting with the delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) as they visit the Cooperative Republic of Guyana from November 28 to December 1, 2023.
I am a former political prisoner, 2002 to 2006 like many other Guyanese who the PPP government under Bharrat Jagdeo (1997-2011) and most recently Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo (2020 to present) have been subjected to falsified claims of being in breach of the law, made to suffer the indignities of such accusations and lifetime character stains, incarcerated with charges subsequently being dropped in a clear strategy of successive PPP governments to accuse without intent to trial beyond the court of public opinion.
As a media owner and operative, I represent a segment of media in Guyana not benefiting from government advertising support though others similar to my service are able to enjoy taxpayers’ dollars siphoned off to them.
Benschop Radio represents the voices of the oppressed and marginalized in the Guyanese community and prides itself as being a champion of media freedom and integrity, electoral and judicial fairness, transparency and accountability. These are important pillars for human development and democracy that are a current illusion and under constant manipulation in Guyana.
Government-biased media, (state, mainstream, and social) are not held to account for fact-based reporting and exercise various degrees of censorship over views and statements of facts dispelling government misrepresentations and historical myths used to mislead the people and support or make their positions acceptable.
The government scores political points by using media to expose their opponents to trumped-up charges in the court of public opinion.
The cases of Trevor Benn and Colvin Heath-London, former state employees who were criminalized for conducting legitimate duties before the transition of the 2020 government are classic cases in point of government abuse of persons perceived or arbitrarily labeled by them as opposition. So too, are the cases of those accused of electoral fraud who to date cannot have their names cleared due to deliberate efforts by the regime to delay/ not have the elections petition placed before the courts in a timely manner. President of Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) Rickford Burke has also faced efforts by the government to declare him wanted and a criminal for his USA right to freedom of expression on U.S soil.
Meanwhile, they are all spared no criminal references and demonization.
Such is the faith of all who look like a particular ethnic group and or are presumed to be affiliated with the political opposition. So, it is also for Indians and other ethnic groups who are affiliated with the Opposition.
I dare say criminalization without intent to prosecute is a human rights violation that is frequently used by the government of the day. In Guyana, these people lose means of income, benefits accrued, dignity, pride, and the ability to earn a living commensurate to what they had prior to their false and unproven criminalization.
The concept of innocent until proven guilty is only for some. For the poor and disconnected extrajudicial justice and murders may be their faith.
I am willing to meet with the team alone via Zoom at your convenience and would also be willing to organize a group of social media activists in Guyana or via Zoom who are the main source for non-governmental views reaching the people of Guyana. Please refer to the contact information below
Yours sincerely,
Mark Benschop (Social Activist)
Owner/ Managing Director,
Benschop Radio 107.1 FM
