Guyana: Whether PNC members or supporters are being targeted, harassed, attacked or threatened by PPP members or supporters (1999 - June 2001)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 6 July 2001 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GUY37356.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Guyana: Whether PNC members or supporters are being targeted, harassed, attacked or threatened by PPP members or supporters (1999 - June 2001), 6 July 2001, GUY37356.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be3a4.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The People's National Congress (PNC) of Guyana is, for the most part, supported by Afro-Guyanese people, while the People's Progressive Party (PPP) takes its support from the Indo-Guyanese population (IPS 12 Apr. 2001; Weekly News Update on the Americas 1 Apr. 2001; Freedom House 2000). From Guyanese independence until 1992, the PNC held power, and since 1992 the PPP has been the ruling party (ibid.; The Economist 17 Mar. 2001). On 19 March 2001, the PPP won the election in Guyana for a third consecutive time (Weekly News Update on the Americas 1 Apr. 2001; IPS 9 Apr. 2001). Those results were contested by the PNC, which alleges that some 20,000 people, most of whom are thought to be PNC supporters, were not allowed to vote despite having provided documents proving that they had registered (ibid.; ibid. 12 Apr. 2001).
The PNC has organized many anti-government protests in Guyana this year (Caribbean Blues 24 Apr. 2001; IPS 9 Apr. 2001; AP Worldstream 16 Apr. 2001). The PNC staged these demonstrations in part because of the results of the elections, but also to protest against joblessness among the Afro-Guyanese population, racial discrimination by the PPP, unfair land distribution (ibid.; IPS 12 Apr. 2001), the use of excessive force by police and favoritism toward PPP supporters by the government (ibid.; ibid. 9 Apr. 2001).
During one demonstration which took place on 9 April 2001, the Guyanese police opened fire against demonstrators and beat two PNC congressmen during confrontations near the president's office in Georgetown (ibid.; EFE 9 Apr. 2001). The two PNC members, Robert Corbin and Jerome Khan, as well as other PNC supporters, were arrested by police (ibid.; IPS 12 Apr. 2001). In a press release, the PNC claimed that the "police were acting under direct instructions from the Office of the President" and that "several persons ... received life threatening injuries at the hands of the rampaging police" (PNC/Reform 9 Apr. 2001).
Later that day, several buildings were burned in the city (Caribbean & Central America Report 8 May 2001; Weekly News Update on the Americas 15 Apr. 2001; IPS 12 Apr. 2001). The police claim that opposition supporters are to blame for the destruction of these buildings, but "PNC officials ... have distanced themselves from [those] fires" (ibid.). A woman was shot and killed while fleeing from the turmoil (ibid.; Caribbean & Central America Report 8 May 2001; Weekly News Update on the Americas 15 Apr. 2001). Some reports indicate that the shots that killed her may have come from the nearby PPP headquarters (ibid.; IPS 12 Apr. 2001).
The PPP claimed in a press release that it "has been exercising tremendous restraint in the face of reckless adventurism by the PNC, which has ... unleash[ed] another cycle of public terrorism" (PPP/Civic 20 Apr. 2001).
These protests are not new in Guyana. According to one source, "the country has [since 1997] been wracked by opposition street protests on a range of issues, from discrimination against blacks by the East-Indian dominated governing People's Progressive Party (PPP) to widespread corruption to the firing of persons suspected of being opposition supporters or sympathizers" (IPS 24 June 1999).
In a 25 June 2001 telephone interview, a professor of social science at the University of Guyana provided the following information. According to him, there have been several incidents of victimization or harassment of PNC supporters since the PPP won the elections in 1992. People have been removed from public office or have been denied jobs because of their perceived affiliation with the PNC. He stated that in some rural communities, there have been incidents where PNC supporters have been physically attacked by PPP supporters, but he also mentioned that there have been attacks on both sides. The professor reported that ethnic tensions in Guyana have escalated since the last elections and that politics in Guyana are very much "ethnically oriented." He stated that there is a deep-seated feeling among PNC supporters that they have lost all economic and political power in the country. He indicated that relations between the PNC and the PPP are currently very tense and that even though there is, on the surface, some dialogue between the two parties, there is still a lot of mistrust and suspicion from both sides.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
AP Worldstream. 16 April 2001. "Guyana's Stability Threatened as Racial Tensions Escalate." (NEXIS)
Caribbean & Central America Report. 8 May 2001. "Leaders' Dialogue Puts End to Unrest But Opposition Still Intends to Challenge Elections."
Caribbean Blues. 24 April 2001. "Guyana's President Jagdeo and Hoyte Meet Amid Protests."
The Economist. 17 March 2001 "Guyana's Closely Observed Election: A Difficult Election in Guyana – Why Should a Small Country Draw so Many Invigilators?" (NEXIS)
EFE [Madrid, in English]. 9 April 2001. "Guyanese Police Open Fire Against Protesters, Arrest Congressmen." (FBIS-LAT-2001-0409/WNC)
Freedom House. 2000. "Guyana". In Freedom in the World: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties 1999-2000.
Inter Press Service (IPS). 24 June 1999. "Labor – Guyana: End to Eight-Week Strike Averts Gov't Crackdown." (NEXIS)
__________. 9 April 2001. "Politics – Guyana: Defeated Opposition Takes to the Streets." (NEXIS)
__________. 12 April 2001. "Guyana: Afro-Guyanese Opposition Steps Up Protests". (NEXIS)
PNC/Reform. 9 April 2001. "Dark Clouds Over Guyana."
PPP/Civic. 20 April 2001. "PPP Calls on All Political Forces to Protect Welfare and Security of Every Family."
Professor of social science, University of Guyana, Georgetown. 25 June 2001. Telephone interview.
Weekly News Update on the Americas. 1 April 2001. Issue 583. "Guyana: Ruling Party Wins Reelection." (NEXIS)
__________. 15 April 2001. Issue 585. "Guyana: Protests Turn Violent." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Caribbean & Central America Report. 1999-2001.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. 1999-2001.
Europa World Year Book.
IRB Databases.
Political Handbook of the World.
Resource Centre. Guyana country file. 1999-2001.
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International.
BBC World News Service.
Minority Rights Group.
ReliefWeb.
World News Connection (WNC).
Search engines including:
Google.
Lycos.
MetaEureka.