5TH ANNIVERSARY OF LUSIGNAN MASSACRE
Posted by bwest in Press Releases
<h6 class="post_details">January 16th, 2013</h6>
GUYANA NEEDS CLOSURE AND HEALING
January 26 marks the 5th Anniversary of the Lusignan massacre. Though eleven persons were victims, Lusignan was the most shocking mass killing in Guyana, after Jonestown.
The Alliance for Change (AFC) remembers with anguish the late Clarence Thomas, 48; Vanessa Thomas, 12; Ron Thomas, 11; Mohandai Goordat, 32; Seegopaul Harilall, 10; Seegobin Harilall, 4; Dhanwajie Ramsingh, 52; Seecharran Rooplall, 56; Raywattie Ramsingh, 11; Shazam Mohammed, 22; and Shaleem Baksh, 52.
Several others were wounded and survived to re-live the horrors of that gruesome, insane, terrorist attack.
The 11 persons were murdered in cold blood whilst they slept in the peace and quiet of their humble dwelling by criminals carrying AK-47 assault rifles. Apart from early reports of a “vengeance killing” by the notorious “Fine Man”, no one has given a definitive account and, with the death of the alleged killer, these killings would go down as “cold cases”. They would be explained away as the work of criminal and narco-gangsters, just as the Bartica and the Lindo Creek massacres.
Many of these people were caring mothers, father, sisters and brothers – few were infants and students. The elders were champions in their own right in the little things they did to preserve and protect their families. But they were the poor and the underprivileged. The five children were not allowed to dream or to graduate, to love and live in their own country where criminals and drug-lords settled scores through the muzzle of guns, some of whom were recruited by a frightened state to come to its defence.
Guyana has lost irreplaceable diamonds from its human collection as the PPP and the PNC battled for political space and dominance. Members of the disciplined services lost their lives in the line of duty during the killing frenzy of what one Head of State described as “rival gangs”.
Like all multiple killings (extra-judicial and otherwise), the Lusignan massacre represents a failure by our State to protect our people. It would forever be the smoking gun that points to the guilty parties, those who were in bed with the insurgents and narco-criminals.
Over the years we have seen these parties trying to pass the buck. Guyanese are tired of this scapegoat politics and blame-games. Guyanese are also fed up with efforts to use Lusignan and other tragic episodes for racial/ethnic solidarity and mobilisation, which only serve to desecrate the memories of the fallen victims.
AFC believes that a thorough investigation is needed into all mass crimes as well as corruption in post-independent Guyana, to bring not only closure for aggrieved families but healing to our nation as well.
The AFC shares the compound grief and loss of relatives and survivors, and commit itself to ensure that all Guyanese are afforded adequate protection and security, and that Guyana up-root the narco-and-money-laundering gangs and their handlers, who incubate criminals to menace our society. [END]