Dear Editor,
THE unfortunate death of the young schoolchild Adrianna was appropriated by hoodlums, thugs, and miscreants as an opportunity to burn, block roads, rob, loot, and riot, desecrating a legitimate cause for a call for justice in the police’s handling of the investigation of the matter.
Of course, the opposition was in gleeful delight of the misfortunes of the government now having to deal with the maintenance of law and order, in this election season. We don’t have politicians who think that “a hole in the boat is a hole in the whole boat.” Our politics has always been a poisoned chalice of “expose, oppose, and depose.”
The idea is for as many bad things to happen so the government can fail or fall. I am disappointed at the silence of the churches at this time when the nation is ravaged by hoodlum violence. The Zadok Ministries made a statement but others are silent.
When the child died, everybody and their brother concocted theories, assertions and opinions of what had happened, with no evidence whatsoever, instead of waiting on the autopsies and results of the investigations to unfold.
Social media was ablaze with opinions and rabble rousers stoking false narratives, all calculated to slash and burn the police and cuss down the government. The worst falsity was Hindus were doing human sacrifice to get rich. Rationality and reason fled and the rallying cry was justice for Adrianna.
When bloggers wrote that it is wrong for protesters to burn down buildings and loot and riot, the answer was don’t be concerned about the destruction of property, justice was what we want. These folks did not understand that if you burn down the hotel, the scene of the death, you have burned down the main source of forensic evidence, preventing the attainment of that justice we were shouting for.
Now when the government bent over backwards and agreed to bring in three foreign, highly competent forensic pathologists who unanimously agreed the child died by drowning; this evidence did not matter.
The error of the police was that it allowed mobs to assemble around the hospital for a long time before removing them towards the end of the day.
The deputy police commissioner came out and said the foreign doctors were terrified by the noise and chants of the protesters surrounding the hospital.
The autopsy was done amidst an environment of tension and fear created by those who want “justice.” It was bullyism at its best. Now the family’s attorney is asking for an “international” investigation.
What did he think the three foreign doctors were? I don’t recall the government bringing in so many foreign pathologists to do such an investigation.
I now call for justice for all the victims of the burning, looting and blocking of roads. The police have lots of footage of the terrorists at work and must speedily identify them all and bring them before the courts, so we may have justice for their victims and the nation.
These folks must be taught a lesson: that you cannot terrorise a nation, that there are consequences when you do. I support the President’s call for these destabilisers to be dealt with by the law.
The police/government failed us in such previous riots when they failed to charge and try all the terrorists. What’s holding up the trials of the Mon Repos terrorists? Minister Benn, Mr. Commissioner, we want justice for the Guyanese people. Jail the blockers of roads, arsonists, and looters now, or you will have a repeat and more of the same!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall
Civil Society Advocate