Still haunted by British legacy of imperialism and racism

MANY Guyanese were greeted late on Tuesday or early Wednesday morning with the news that the British Government has cancelled a 4.9 million pounds security sector reform project for Guyana.

What should we learn from this? The British has not abandoned its colonialist mindset, its demeaning portrayal of being the superior white race and the coloured being of an inferior race. This was so grotesquely manifested by the revelations emanating from the Office of the President that the decision by the UK Government is believed to be linked to this government’s refusal to allow the British Special forces to use live firing in an Amerindian community. Do they not have any regard for human life? Or are the Amerindians lesser human beings than the “white masters?”

Another point to be noted is that, such projects involve the hiring of foreign contractors who are chosen by the funding entity and more that 98% of the time those contractors are closely affiliated to the funding body. The fees for these contractors alone account for almost ¾ the cost for the entire project, thereby leaving the project incomplete and then the blame is cast upon the beneficiary country.

Importantly the British from time immemorial have sought to impose itself on other nations in the form of tied aid and this security reform project should be examined within this very context; they give with one hand but end up taking more with the other hand. Yes, the British are giving us money for this project but they want to dictate who must implement it, how it must be executed when and where and at the end of the day the government is left like a puppet.

This government first and foremost has to look after the interest of this country. If our sovereignty is being eroded or compromised whereby their role in the implementation of this project is subdued to the detriment of the country, then they have all right to protect the very sovereignty that we have fought for from these imperialists.

To understand what is being said here one just has to examine those countries in Africa where the British rule has left a brutal and nasty legacy of racism and imperialism. Guyana will not become one of its victims.
BALDEO MATHURA