THE Progressive Youth Organisation of Guyana (PYO) wishes to strongly condemn the shooting to death of three university students in North Carolina, United States of America and the growing xenophobic sentiments there.

The PYO also wishes to express its concern over the circumstances which led to the deaths of Deah Shaddy Barakat, a 23-year-old University of North Carolina dental student; his 21-year-old wife, Yusor Mohammad; and her 19-year-old sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha.

Additionally, the PYO expresses condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives on Tuesday, Feb 11, 2015.

The PYO firmly believes that the heinous crimes committed against these students were a result of extreme sentiments of sharp intolerance.

Our youth body recognises that we live in a world with growing extremism from different quarters and we therefore urge our world leaders to take decisive action that would see higher levels of tolerance existing in our multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious societies.

The PYO therefore calls on all Guyanese, youths in particular, to equally condemn this most recent hate crime as we call for the perpetrator(s) responsible to be brought to justice.

Our society must practise the principles of peaceful co-existence, tolerance, love and unity.

The PYO is appreciative that in Guyana, such extreme cases of intolerance do not exist, but will continue the struggle against them.