THE hours-long disappearance of a Mabaruma teenage girl was attributed to “constant abuse” from her mother by her peers within the community’s Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO).After a PYO event on Sunday, the teenager went missing and was subsequently found to be staying with friends.

“It is widely suspected in the community that the mother’s constant abuse of her daughter has resulted in the teenager running away from home on many occasions and seeking refuge from residents,” the PYO group said.
The Mabaruma PYO group’s comments were included in a statement yesterday that slammed the embattled Kaieteur News for an article in its Wednesday edition, under the headline ‘Permanent Secretary at the center of missing teen report in North West.’
The report called into question the involvement of Permanent Secretary in the Local Government Ministry, Collin Croal in the teen’s decision to run away. “Not only is the article misleading but rather it is far from the truth,” the group said.
FULL ACCOUNT
According to the group, the teen was indeed involved in an activity on Sunday, when the District Committee (Mabaruma) of the People’s Progressive Party held the finals of the Dr. Cheddi Jagan Memorial Games in the community of Kamwatta.
The team of PYO members was accompanied by Mr. Collin Croal, who is a representative on the National Steering Committee of the PYO and is also one of the Geographical Representatives of the PPP for Region 1 (Barima/ Waini).
However, the PYO group noted that the teen was subsequently publicly berated by her mother for supporting the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), after the team of campaigners for the political opposition visited the same village in her company.
The group in their statement said, “At no time was the teenager in question missing. Since her mother who was fully aware of her involvement in our activities and also saw when her daughter, a member of the PYO, joined the minibus that was transporting the group to the games.
“About an hour after the PYO team reached the community of Kamwatta, a team of campaigners for the coalition APNU+AFC arrived at the said village in the company of the teenager’s mother. The child’s mother then came to her in a rude and harsh manner and threatened her verbally in front of the entire group, an ordeal which was witnessed by other spectators at the games.
“As if that was not enough, moments later the child was called away from the group by her mother and some minutes later came back crying. When asked what happened, she related that her mother and other members of the coalition team scolded and berated her because of her affiliation with the PYO.
“About fifteen minutes after the teenager returned to our group, her mother came once again and began embarrassing and abusing her daughter verbally, saying things like: ‘You nah weary embarrass me,’ etc, ‘furthermore, get up from there and leh we go now.’
“The teenager while in tears, without hesitation and in a respectful manner, complied with her mother’s instructions. The mother and her daughter left the community in one of the two buses filled with APNU+ AFC coalition supporters. Children under fourteen years were among them.”
RIGHT OF ASSOCIATION
The PYO Mabaruma group stressed that it is the right of every citizen of Guyana to have their political affiliation.
“For the APNU + AFC coalition across the nation it seems not to be so. Since the games were held on Sunday which is not an official day of work, no member of the team was there in their official capacity, especially as Community Support Officer (CSO), however the writer of the misleading article is also a CSO and has been using the official working hours and days which she is paid for, to campaign for the coalition,” the group said.
It also addressed charges that the teenager was intoxicated. “It is totally untrue and lacks merit in every sense, since the consumption of alcohol is a practice that is not condoned at any given time during PYO activities.”
The Mabaruma PYO group added, “While this outright propaganda is being facilitated by Kaieteur News, the fact is that supporters of the APNU+ AFC Coalition are peddling malicious lies to discredit PYO and the PPP/C members in an attempt to garner support, however they are being seen for who they really are.”
Consequently, the group charged that the political Opposition has employed tactics to “intimidate” sections of the Guyanese population and rejected strongly this approach.
“They have been intimidating our young people, Amerindian brothers and sisters because they do not and would not share their dangerous ideologies. Is this the way they intend to run our nation? God forbids… the Progressive Youth Organization stands by truth, progress, and development and will not be subjected to false claims, bullyism and intimidation… That is for thugs, criminals, and gangsters,” the group said.
It also noted that all persons that were a part of the team are members of the PYO which enlist youths as members from age 14 to 35 years.
“The PYO is one of the oldest Youth Organizations in this beautiful country of Guyana, and whose members live and abide by rules and regulation. The organization guides its members in a positive, progressive and proactive direction since its main objective is to help young people to become leaders of worth,” the PYO group stressed.