IAC responds to Freddie Kissoon’s unsubtle insinuations to denigrate Indo-Guyanese residents of Lusignan.

Priya Mahase: The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) has noted columnist, Freddie Kissoon’s unsubtle insinuations to denigrate Indo-Guyanese residents of Lusignan in his article of Wednesday, January 27, 2010.
Further, the IAC feels that the said article strongly suggests that the organisation’s event, “Night of Remembrance”, held on Wednesday, January 27-2010 in tribute to the slain victims of the 2008 Lusignan and Bartica massacres should be boycotted. The IAC wishes to make pellucid that the event was its initiative having consulted with relatives of the deceased in Lusignan and Bartica.
The IAC therefore views Kissoon’s pronouncements that it is a “front group” for the government in relation to this event as not only being grossly inaccurate, but ludicrous. This is not the first instance of Kissoon transgressing journalistic ethics to pontificate his misinformed opinions about the IAC. The IAC wishes to remind him that the organisation is a non-governmental, non-profit one with the objective of advancing the Indian culture and to promote social activities that will positively impact the lives of Guyanese.
Organisations, both local and overseas, often invite government officials to public functions and sometimes request them to deliver brief remarks. The IAC is no different. Further, the IAC would like to educate Kissoon that all of its events are national and open to all Guyanese. The recent event was no different. The IAC stuck steadfast to its position of inviting the Opposition to all of its functions. Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Robert Corbin was invited to the “Night of Remembrance’.
Kissoon made no mention in the article alluded to, that the “Night of Remembrance” was in tribute to victims of both the Lusignan and Bartica massacres. Given his self proclaimed egoistic boastfulness for research, the question must be asked why he failed to mention such an important aspect of the event despite the numerous advertisements and articles noting same in the media. The IAC is convinced that Kissoon’s omission of such information which permeated the public domain was either a deliberate act of mischievousness or a deficiency in proper research.
It must be noted that the event on the Tarmac in Lusignan, was the second since the massacre in that village with the first being in the street where the 11 innocent Guyanese, including five children, were brutally slaughtered. The overwhelming response to last year’s event has rendered the massacre site inadequate to accommodate a large crowd. As such, the IAC sought the use of the Tarmac which can adequately accommodate a large gathering.
It is evident that the hundreds who attended the event will not allow themselves to be dictated by a biased columnist who operates under the guise of a journalist. Their attendance is testimony to the need for the memory of those two heinous crimes to be preserved and for the incidents not to disappear into history as Kissoon and his cohorts wish. While the IAC has taken the time, through this letter, to correct Kissoon’s inaccuracies, it is not surprised at his related diatribes.
A few weeks ago he noted that one of his Guyanese heroes is Mark Benschop, a former treason accuse who allegedly was responsible for an invasion of the Office of the President in 2002. That invasion of the nation’s highest office led to the ransacking of some offices within, grievous bodily harm to security personnel and the deaths of some involved. Some of Kissoon’s past articles bordered on sedition with him seemingly sparing criticism for some responsible for crimes perpetrated on innocent Guyanese and his subtle insinuation for incitement.
His pronouncements in man of his articles are in synchrony with that of some sections of the Opposition. Following the massacres, some sections of the populace were encouraged by sections of the Opposition to capitalise on the anger of residents affected in an effort to challenge the democratically elected government. This was never condemned by your columnist. As a matter of fact, he suggested, over time, some form of revolution in this stable country. Similar sentiments were expressed in the article of January 27, 2010, where Kissoon refers to the residents of Lusignan as being “short-sighted”, “reduced to robots” and questioned whether they are still “indentured servants”.
Given this and the tone of the said article, it is not tedious to conclude that Kissoon wishes that the 2008 massacres not be remembered. If this were to be, then his illusion of Guyanese delivering his and his cohorts’ dream may be embryonic. The hundreds, by their presence at the event at the Lusignan Tarmac, have condemned Kissoon’s dream to a figment of his imagination.
The IAC will not be deterred in its efforts to provide such opportunities for the memories of those slain to live on. The IAC will not allow those dreadful killings to be forgotten as Kissoon wishes.
Further, the IAC demands that Kissoon apologise to residents of Lusignan for inferring that they are still indentured servants and for referring to them as robots and short-sighted people simple because of their attendance to such a function. These are people who did not ask for their families to be murdered. These are people who have suffered as a result of that cruel incident perpetrated by callous marauding murderers. These are people who are still in pain after losing their loved ones. These are people whose dreams were shattered by the massacre. These are people who are pleased that the IAC can host such a function which remembers that horrific crime; which remembers those murdered; and which provide some comfort to the survivors.
The IAC feels that Kissoon’s comments in the said article are insensitive to the surviving relatives and residents of Lusignan. While the IAC is cognisant of Kissoon’s freedom of expression he now enjoys, he must be cautioned that this freedom is not a right to demean Guyanese. The IAC is not oblivious of the many accusations levelled at Kissoon for desecrating the character of numerous citizens and for pedalling misinformation. This seems an engrained trait of his.

Observer: Trotman and executive members of the PNC are having secret talks to merge the AFC and the PNC

AD says: Finalize merger talks between the PNCR and the AFC

- Trotman protests
- AFC members, supporters baffled

The Observer: An advertisement appearing in the Tuesday 26 January edition of Kaieteur News has initiated a campaign to oust Leader of the PNC, Mr. Robert Corbin, and replace him with one of five persons suggested by the nameless face/s behind the ad.

The names being advanced as fitting replacements of Mr. Corbin are Aubrey Armstrong, of the infamous Armstrong Commission; Deborah Backer, of the Globe Trust fiasco; Richard Van-West Charles, who enjoyed the fruits grown from the sweat of Guyanese under the rule of his father-in-law Burnham and then ran away during the hard years; and Mark Benschop and Aubrey Norton, two men who could never win Indian votes, nor the votes of rational Afro-Guyanese.

This is an obvious attempt to merge the membership of the PNC with the AFC, similar to the PNC’s merger with the United Force during the 1960’s, cognizant that the requisite trust for such a merger does not exist between Trotman and Corbin, with Ramjattan being a mere cipher in that party.

There has been tremendous infighting within the PNC ranks, especially as a result of Corbin’s recalcitrance, if not outright refusal, to countenance the terror-tactics, used so effectively by the past PNC leadership to cow the Indian community and make the security forces and the Government look so helpless to defend the nation against the marauding gangs.

Corbin was wise enough to realize that these tactics would lose him whatever Indian support the PNC has enjoyed in the past, as well as scare away potential members from other race groups.

However, the other candidates for PNC leadership may not have such compunction, because they come from the old PNC school where kick-down-the-door bandits, the Buxton and Agricola Gangs, the X-13 Plan, among such other devices, were used to cow a nation into subservience, and the current AFC leader was integral to the planning and implementation of these strategic moves to inhibit optimum development, even if they did not succeed in outright curtailment of implementation processes of nation-building programmes and exercises.

Thus the implication is obvious, that Trotman and executive members of the PNC are having secret talks to merge the AFC and the PNC, but only on condition that the leadership of the latter changes. The synonymous and spontaneous actions by the leadership of the two parties on issues of public interest are indicative of a common policy of joint cooperation on national issues. However, Trotman did not bargain for the negotiations to emerge into the public domain though the enthusiasm by the “Concerned PNC Members” who placed the advertisement, so he was caught with his pants down, unprepared for the pre-emptive disclosures in the advertisement.

At a press-briefing on Tuesday, Trotman attempted damage control by reportedly hinting at a possible merger between purported Indian-centric ROAR and Amerindian-supported GAP.

However, Ravi Dev and his ROAR Party have many times collaborated with Corbin in protest actions against Dr Jagan and the PPP, even while many of those protests resulted in innocent Indians being publicly attacked and Indian businesses being robbed and set aflame by the protestors, so where is the defining line between the PNC and all these third-force parties, when their leadership have all demonstrated by their actions that they are opportunistic egomaniacs who would use any strategy, and jump onto any bandwagon, it could give them a foothold in the corridors of power.

Methinks Trotman doth protest too much, even while the concerned PNC members have exposed his duplicity.

AFC supporters voice concerns about merger issue raised by PNCR supporters.

Seon Downer

Despite public denials by both Raphael Trotman and Khemraj Ramjattan supporters of the AFC have voiced their concerns about hints of behind-the-scenes discussions aimed at merging the party with the PNCR in time for the impending local government elections and up-coming general elections in 2011.

Seon Downer says he has been a member of the AFC since it's initial formation in 2005, a former PNC member, he says he was inclined to join the AFC after Raphael Trotman parted ways with the party, and also that he was tired of the tactics of confrontation employed by the PNC. To this end, the latest revelations which surfaced after disgruntled PNCR supporters published an ad in the Kaieteur News in which they called for a finalization of merger talks between the two parties as an alternative to Corbin's poor leadership has caused him much discomfort. Added to his consternation is the fact that a level of coziness is seen by many to be developing between the leaders of both parties and their actions, in-actions and positions taken of recent are similar.

Some are more concerned about Janette Bulkan getting her job back than Suriname's claims to Guyana's territory.

Raphael Trotman


Alissa Trotz


Andaiye

It seems that folks are more interested in Janette Bulkan getting back her job as they are busy petitioning the World Bank for an explanation for the termination of her services instead of condemning the actions of Suriname as it relates to their publication and submitting of a map depicting parts of Guyana's territory as theirs.

These folks continue to make fools out of themselves as an official correspondence from FCPF secretariat clearly states that "Each round of TAP review of Readiness Preparation Idea Notes (R-PINs) and subsequent R-PPs over the past year and a half has utilized a different ad hoc TAP group of experts, depending on the expertise required for the mix of country submissions being reviewed" and as such, the entire review panel of which Bulkan was a part of was disbanded.

And as usual these political pawns found ready allies in the leaders of the AFC who were quick to jump on the bandwagon, but are yet to condemn Suriname for its actions.

Guyana's Haiti cash donation reaches $245Million

The cash donations that the Guyana Haiti Relief Committee has collected as at yesterday stood at $245M, according to the bank statement. But judging from the amounts donated yesterday Guyana still has its Caricom sister state at heart.
Yesterday several companies and groups as well a schools handed in millions of dollars in cash and clothing to Committee chairperson, Minister Priya Manickchand at the Civil Defence Commission boardroom.
Leading the pack was the donation of monies totalling $5.17M representing the amounts raised in a telethon by Upper and Central Berbice Chamber of Commerce development association.
On January 15, the Little Rock television station management, with assistance from the New Amsterdam Rotarians and officials of the various religious bodies, hosted a telethon to realise the amount.
The accounts remain open and according to Little Rock manager, Naomi Christie, who was among the donors, “our accounts at Demerara Bank and Republic Bank remain open.”
“This is just the beginning and Guyanese need to remember that our sisters and brothers need us in Haiti at this hour…and will for along time to come as they rise from the devastation.
Her mother, the owner of little Rock handed over the cheque to the Committee Chairman.
Women and Mothers for Mothers and Children in Haiti, an organisation that includes women from every sector and section of Guyana, yesterday handed over cash amounting to $1.39 M.
Hyemawattie Lagan, administrator of the Women’s Affairs Bureau, said that her group raised the amounting cash from knocking on doors during their first walkathon staged last Saturday to raise funds for the women and children affected by earth devastation in Haiti. She said the group managed to collect food items and clothing by the truckloads to fill more than 30 barrels.
“This is just the beginning because we see and feel the pains of the mothers and children of Haiti and we know that they will need years of assistance to rebuild their lives so we have other fundraising efforts planned to show the women and children in Haiti that Guyanese women are with them and we feel their pains,” Lagan said.
She also noted that the efforts are not only targeting Georgetown. “We are going nationwide.”
The Guyana Haiti Relief Committee also collected donations of $1M each from representatives of the Guyana Lottery Company as well as the Hand in Hand Insurance Company.
Regal Stationary handed over $300,000 in cash; GAWU staffers donated $97,500; Gem’s Productions in collaboration with Princess Buddy’s Hotel donated $220,000 in cash, which was raised from a concert staged at the hotel last Saturday.
Other donations included twenty bags of clothing and computer supplies from Metro office staffers.
Stewartville Secondary School donated $101,100 while Monar Educational Institute donated $41,000.
These donations do not include the amounts donated to the CDC and suma at NCN yesterday.

AFC's link to the PNCR exposed through full page ad by PNCR supporters.

Alternative number two of the full page ad by PNCR supporters in today's Kaieteur News provides confirmation of the relationship between the PNC and AFC. The supporters' call for the finalization of merger talks between the two parties highlights the fact that such talks were secretly taking place despite denials by the two and makes a mockery of the AFC's proclamations of being independent of the two major political parties.

Despite these recent revelations it is foolish to think that AFC leader Raphael Trotman would suddenly abandon militancy, political scheniganism, antagonism, terror and other such tactics employed during his many years at the helm of the PNC leadership for some new found association which includes many of his former bosom-buddies and least of all, those whom he fought against(Ramjattan, Boyo Ramsaroop, Shiela Holder ET AL).

Ever since its establishment in 2006 it was always being suggested that the AFC was a "creature" of the PNC whose history of violence and destruction to Guyana needs no regurgitation here. And one only has to note the result of the fall-out between Gaumattie Singh and leaders of the AFC in the aftermath of the elections of 2006 after she went public with her claims that they reneged on a promise made to her in order to understand the relationship between the two. In an action that was reminiscent of those perpetrated by the Burnham goons during the days of the PNC dictatorship, Gaumattie Singh was set-upon by an unknown assailant and doused with a corrosive substance.

Late last year we also learnt of the co-operation which seemed to have been agreed upon by the two parties that saw their scrutineers working hand-in-hand during the claims and objections exercise currently being conducted by GECOM.

Freddie Kissoon ready to run in next general elections.

"If for the forthcoming election, I am asked to serve in a broad-based coalition to participate in the election to defeat the PPP, I will walk away from this column and join the election battle." -So says Freddie Kissoon in his Kaieteur News “essay” on January 24, 2010.

If Kissoon is going to be a candidate in next year's elections, Guyanese voters ought to know what kind of individual they will be voting for. So far we don't know if Freddie Kissoon will seek the position of President. All the same, here is the man in his own words, writing about himself, his family, his friends, his critics, President Jagdeo, the PPP, etc. All the quotes below are taken from Kissoon's voluminous writings in the Kaieteur News. The publication dates are in brackets:

• "I have been married to the same woman for 31 years, raised a philosophically inclined 20-year-old daughter, never touched any form of alcohol, never used any type of tobacco, do not club, party or socialize and have done the market since I got married in the seventies; all the staff at Nigel’s Supermarket have come to know me very well." (9-27-09)
• "I courted my wife for six months before we got married, and almost each day, in that period, we visited the seawall. This was in the seventies." (9-10-09)
• "I have seen the Kissing Bridge." (10-13-09)
• "It was only in 2006, I built a house. Prior to that I lived in my mother-in-law’s house on Hadfield Street, Wortmanville, one block from where I was born... My house is a very modest one that can hardly attract high taxes...There are two cars in the family...." (9-20-09)
• "I have never been charged by the police...." (9-27-09)
• "But yes, I was charged for stealing books from the National Library in 1970 ...." (10-18-09)
• "I will give my life for the Velvet Revolution in Guyana right now." (9-19-09)
• "I am not physically weak. I am not in the throes of illness." (10-11-09)
• "Of course, the ailing Fidel couldn’t make it to Italy to be between (Oliver) Stone and (Hugo)
• Chavez – he is struck down with colon cancer." (9-26-09)
• "I always have my breakfast with the newspapers by my side...." (9-10-09)
• "Over coffee on Saturday morning with Dale Andrews and Mark Benschop, I made the point ...." (1-12-10)
• "After collecting my dinner at New Thriving, I went home and later that evening did my internet readings." (1-21-10)
• "One day, Lincoln Lewis called me on the phone." (10-11-09)
• "Friday afternoon, Mark Benschop asked me to accompany him outside the office of the Police Commissioner to protest police inaction in the Kwame Mc Koy tape. I knew in my heart I couldn’t refuse because Benschop would have been there alone." (10-5-09)
• “By the way, I am very much in love with my wife and would never dare attempt to put her out.” (9-27-09)
• "Pardon my poor German (Deutsch). I learnt a little bit of it under the tutelage of BoyoRamsaroop during my teen days." (10-9-09)
• "I am donating $10,000 to the Haitian relief effort. That is a sum I can ill afford but it has to be done. I could have done better but last year, the Head of the GRA, Mr. Khurshid Sattaur asked me to pay property tax for each year going back eight years." (1-16-10)
• "... Now Khurshid Sattaur, Head of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), has requested that for the past nine years I submit property tax ... My plan to buy a laptop has now been dashed – the money gone to Sattaur."(9-27-09)
• "Speaking for myself, I have never been an organizational man and I will never be one. I don’t care how penetrating on the individual is the organization ethos. I will never be a creature of any organization and become silent about its faults. Period!" (12-3-09)
• “...I know I have some philosophical anarchism in me; I do not think I can be part of a big machine that wields power and the government is indeed a huge receptacle of power." (1-24-10)
• "When I was sixteen years old, I guess like most youths out of school in the Third World, I became attracted to communism. (7-9-08)
• "Mr. Jagdeo has become the second monarch of the PPP after Mrs. Jagan. There is no confusion in this statement." (9-15-09)
• "One day, after Mr. Jagdeo leaves the presidency, I will reveal the names of two close friends of Jagdeo who told me that he doesn’t listen ... Mr. Jagdeo is like Forbes Burnham." (9-29-09)
• "I am still at a loss to find out why President Bharrat Jagdeo used the term 'sleaze-ball' to describe me at one of his press conferences." (9-27-09)
• "I am not going to debate any spin doctor paid by the Office of the President to propagandize for the Guyana Government. Such exchanges will get nowhere." (11-5-09)
• "This guy Randy Persaud is a funny fellow, I tell you." (10-9-09)
• "I wouldn’t devote one single line to Joey Jagan. He doesn’t exist in Guyanese politics. He has no party membership, nor following. One can say the same for the political party of Ravi Dev, ROAR. I can’t remember what the acronym stands for ... More on Dev later." (9-9-09)
• "I have ceased to reply to the letters of Annan Boodram of New York, who I feel, like Vishnu Bisram, has nothing to contribute to the attempts of good, patriotic Guyanese to find everlasting peace in Guyana by carving out a new political culture." (1-5-10)
• "I hope Mr. Rohee knows what is commonsense and who has it, who hasn’t got it and who ought to have it." (9-4-09)
• "Don’t ask me what President Jagdeo will do with Mr. Ramson ... Come to think of it, I know what President Jagdeo will do with Ramson. He will say don’t worry with that article of Freddie; Freddie is a sleaze ball." (8-30-09)
• "The first time I met Dr. David Dabydeen was at a small party at Moses Nagamootoo’s house. I was the only one in the crowd that was not drinking. I hate alcohol, any form of it. I was bored so I asked Moses for chocolate. He brought out a box." (8-29-09)
• "At the Pegasus on the occasion of Warwick University’s award of a honorary doctorate to YesuPersaud, in front of a number of guests, including the venerated Persaud, I refused to shake Dabydeen’s hands ... I have been critical of this sycophantic supporter of the PPP Government over the years." (12-4-09)
• "The serpent is watching the PPP. It will bite the PPP, but the PPP believes that it can defeat the serpent." (9-23-09)
• "Remember Tony Vieira and his unceasing attacks on me? Well, he abandoned Guyana and lives in a quiet town in New York where no one looks at him." (9-27-09)
• "When it comes to the discussion forum on the Internet, it is the same group that operates the letter factory. " (10-6-09)
• " Finally, I live on the Railway Embankment ...." (1-22-10)

SOURCE: KAIETEUR NEWS

Republic of Korea trade mission here to bolster trade relations

President Bharrat Jagdeo, and Dr Wan-Hee Kim, Chairman of the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA), at State House, January 25, 2010.

KOIMA Chairman, Dr Wan-Hee Kim, addresses the business meeting at the Pegasus Hotel.

A KOREA Importers Association (KOIMA) trade mission, from the Republic of Korea (ROK), is in Guyana seeking business connections with Guyanese exporters and suppliers to boost trade.

Talks between the two sides opened at a business meeting in Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown, with 25 local participants from different sectors.

KOIMA was established in 1970 under the authority of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and KOIMA has played a crucial role in developing the Korean economy by promoting trade.

With more than 38 years experience, it is Korea’s only private sector organisation, exclusively dedicated to facilitating imports into that country.

Amerindian group supports Government’s position to remove Bulkan FCPF panel

The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (Taamog) fully supports the Government’s of Guyana position on the removal of Dr Janet Bulkan from the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) of the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF).

Taamog is convinced that Dr Bulkan cannot be a fair assessor on the Panel because of her spate of criticisms against Guyana's Forestry Sector, the Guyana Forestry Commission, (GFC) and its officials, as well as the Minister with responsibility for the Forestry Sector and the President of Guyana whom she accuses of carrying out clandestine activities. What is also important to note is that these accusations cannot be proven on the ground. At the October 2009 Washington Meeting of the Forest Carbon Partnership facility of the World Bank, Suriname made its presentation on its Readiness Preparation Proposal (RPP) where it was observed and that the map displayed by Suriname showed that the New River Triangle, a part of Guyana is included in the Map of Suriname. Dr Bulkan reviewed Suriname's RPP and it is very mind-boggling that Dr Bulkan did not object to this gross violation of Guyana's sovereignty.

Certainly Dr Bulkan was not present at the Washington Meeting last October which again boggles the mind, since she is a member of the Technical Advisory Panel and revised Suriname's RPP. What is also noteworthy is that some Guyanese have been forming consultancies at the International Level and net work for their personal gain, severely criticising Guyana's Natural resource Management systems and state officials, and when confronted with responses of accuracies on the ground, they blatant refuse to accept their inaccuracies and misleading vendetta against Guyana. This circle of Guyanese at the international level is therefore guilty of using Guyana for their personal enrichment. Their level of attacks, or more so misleading campaign against Guyana LCDS and REDD + proposals at the international level are typical examples of their smear campaign against Guyana without unsubstantiated facts. In Taamog's opinion, this is tantamount to gross unpatriotic behaviour.

PNCR supporters launch 'Change the Leader Campaign"-Benschop among names being proposed to replace Corbin as party leader.

Disgruntled supporters of the main opposition party, PNCR have placed another full page ad this time in today's edition of the Kaieteur News calling for the replacement of its current leader, Robert Corbin, with either, Dr Richard Van West Charles, controversial former treason accused Mark Benschop, Aubrey Armstrong, Deborah Backer or Aubrey Norton.

In the ad the supporters continue to allege that Corbin has sold his supporters and party out to the PPP and proposes that a new, vibrant, dynamic and progressive leader be selected from amongst the names listed above . As a second option the group shockingly called for a finalization of merger talks between the PNCR and AFC and thirdly they suggested that the party and its members could remain docile and perish.