THE small Alliance For Change (AFC) party, in its rush to defend Ms. Janette Bulkan against her appalling lack of judgement on a matter of national sovereignty, is trying to kick dust in the eyes of Guyanese.

It is trying to cover up the disgrace of her wittingly or unwittingly being a party to the inclusion of the New River Triangle territory of Guyana as a part of Suriname in a map of that country.

This is the not first time that Suriname has appended that part of Guyana to its map for display in documents made public and Ms. Bulkan would have been acutely aware of that fact.

As an academic and anthropologist with some 25 years of work experience, she has done research on indigenous peoples in Suriname and on other subjects in that country and cannot be a stranger to its longstanding claim on Guyana’s territory which our soldiers have fought to defend against their incursions.

Guyana and Suriname are neighbours and enjoy good relations as members of the Caribbean Community; but Guyanese do not treat lightly with matters of national sovereignty and neither should Ms. Bulkan or her pals in the AFC.

Ms. Bulkan has been clearly caught with her pants down on this issue and the AFC cannot cover up her shame by throwing up a flimsy umbrella of “climate change has no borders”.

Guyana and Suriname are both rainforest countries trying to use their natural resources in the cause of global climate change but that does not mean that we can ignore continuing trespasses on our territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

Ms. Bulkan is among those academics and intellectuals who hide behind their credentials and try to shoot down Guyana’s national policies without constructive analyses.

She should apologise to the nation for her serious lapse and try to use her qualifications more for the national good rather than being seen as a perennial critic.

The Guyana Government has always advocated that citizens in and out of Guyana should serve as watchdogs to strengthen the body politic.

What Guyana can well do without are those who bay at the moon to the frustration of others.
SEAN JUPITER