…GDF says his ‘bread and water sure’

CAPITOL NEWS cameraman, Rudy Morris, who was detained by soldiers on Sunday at Kaieteur National Park (KNP) has been released and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said the media worker’s subsistence and accommodation are guaranteed.
In a statement, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) said it was assured by the GDF that Morris would be brought to Georgetown on Monday, after being detained on Sunday. According to the GPA, Morris and a group of other journalists had received the permission of the National Parks Commission (NPC) after paying the required user fee and landed at the Kaieteur airstrip Saturday morning. The reporters were there to cover unfolding events related to a Presidential order for the Army, in joint operations with the Police, to enforce the law which prohibits mining within the boundaries of the KNP, the GPA said.
It added that on Sunday, Morris, accompanied by Amerindian leader Anthony Melville, a former Toshao, and Chief of Chiefs of the Patamonas, visited the area of Muri Muri by way of boat, to take videos there when they were detained. On Monday morning, they were both allowed to leave and return to Kaieteur top. “Officials of the GDF have assured the GPA that while arrangements are being made to have Mr Morris return to Georgetown, his subsistence and accommodation are guaranteed. The Guyana Press Association (thanks the GDF for their cooperation to have this matter resolved amicably. The Guyana Press Association will never condone its members violating specific security measures in any area of Guyana when good, sufficient and legal reasons exist for such orders. Similarly, we will not stand idly by and have our freedoms violated,” the GPA statement ended.
Meanwhile, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) said it was not part of, or organised the expedition into the KNP, in an attempt to verify the boundary of the protected area. This is in response to an article published in Monday’s edition of the Stabroek News entitled “Cameramen, Chenapau resident detained by soldiers while trying to verify Kaieteur Park boundary”.
The aforementioned article stated that “Cameraman Rudy Morris, was part of a four-member media team accompanying Amerindian Peoples’ Association (APA) representative Michael McGarrell who had travelled to KNP on Saturday morning,”
Although Michael McGarrell is employed by the APA, his visit to the KNP was done of his own personal accord and not under the capacity as a representative of the Association. Moreover, the organisation was not involved in organising any recent visits to the KN Park with the intention of verifying the boundaries of the protected area.