– Harmon renews calls for removal Roshan Khan from ERC over racist remarks
Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon has written to the Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, and Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), John Smith, requesting that ERC Commissioner, Roshan Khan be removed from the position due to his consistent racist social media postings.
Khan, responsible for maintaining good ethnic and harmonic relations between Guyanese of all races, for some time, has fallen short of these expectations as expressed by both members of the public and high-level officials.
In September, the ERC distanced itself from Khan after the Commissioner made a Facebook post urging “Indians in Berbice” to equip themselves with “batons and sticks for self-defense” during a mass protest in Region Five following the murder of teenagers Isaiah and Joel Henry.
This is not his first such comment and though Khan later posted what he termed was an apology, he continues to make inciteful remarks. “All FP posts bearing my name are my personal views and bears no relationship to any group or Board I sit on,” he posted on Monday.
Though he called for Khan to be removed from the Commission back in September, Harmon took matters a step further by writing to the Prime Minister and carbon copying the letter to Smith.
He said: “The APNU+AFC Coalition and the Parliamentary Opposition have noted with alarm the patently racist comments made by Commissioner Roshan Khan of the Ethnic Relations Commission. The racist comments include direct attacks on Afro-Guyanese in particular and attacks on the supporters of the APNU+AFC Coalition and, given that you hold responsibility for both the ERC and Public Information, I am certain that you are well aware of same. Guyanese of all walks of life have taken note of these repeated racist infractions and have resoundingly condemned Mr. Khan.”
Harmon said that it is time for the ERC and the highest level of Government to do the same. Faced with calls for him to step down from the Commission in September, Khan contended that he has a purpose on the Commission and would not step down.
However, Harmon penned: “On behalf of the APNU+AFC Coalition and the Parliamentary Opposition, I now formally call for Mr. Khan to be removed as a Commissioner of the ERC with immediate effect in view of his unrepentant divisive, racist displays and insults which can incite the public. I look forward to your urgent and swift action in this regard.”
Khan was elected to the position by the Islamic Community. Meanwhile, the ERC has been highly criticized for doing very little during even as race relations fell apart in Guyana. They have likewise been criticised for failing to act on the Roshan Khan issue.
