Guyanese should be grateful to Costa Rica’s Rodrigo Carazo, France’s Hélène Tigroudja, Portugal’s José Manuel Santos Pais and USA’s Laurence Helfer − four members of the United Nations Committee on Human Rights (UNCHR) − for their incisive questions, intense scrutiny and international exposure of the human rights violations afflicting our citizens.
Former President David Granger, in examining Guyana’s Third Periodic Report to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the programme – The Public Interest – pointed out that the investigations of the independent human rights experts who monitor the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in the states parties should not be taken lightly.
He reminded that Guyana is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (in 1966). These covenants − collectively referred to as the International Covenants on Human Rights – define Human Rights. In this regard, the Committee was justified in interrogating Guyana’s representative about compliance with the Covenants.
Mr. Granger expressed the view that the Committee exposed the PPP administration’s failure to comply satisfactorily with the Covenants. The PPP, despite being in government for twenty-seven of thirty-two years since 1992, violated citizens’ human rights, disdained civil society; dismissed civil servants; demoralized public sector workers, politicized the police and security services and intimidated private media houses and journalists.
One Government official, in response to questions, cantankerously exclaimed “We don’t want to see the 21st century Jacobinism where those who shout the loudest, and those savvy on social media, are the ones who determine the fate of any country or any issue”. Another absurdly described the Human Rights’ Committees’ queries as “stupid questions” and as “…propaganda from the Opposition that made its way up to that Committee…Every bit of it is APNU propaganda.”
As a result, Committee member Rodrigo Carazo was obliged to upbraid Guyana’s representative for her “confrontational” responses to his questions. He had asked, specifically, about two prisons that have not been renovated for many decades and are in a dilapidated state. Hélène Tigroudja had enquired about the implementation of the Escazú agreement, particularly its provisions for consultation, access to information and decision-making processes; and the country’s poverty rate being about 38.8 percent, among the highest in the Caribbean and Latin America.
José Manuel Santos Pais, pointedly, enquired about the actual, non-appointment of a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice and expressed concerns about executive interference and control in the appointment process for judges. Laurence Helfer asked about allegations of corruption in the Guyana Police Force and the judiciary; dismantling the State Assets Recovery Agency; and potential politicisation caused by the government’s control over the National Broadcasting Authority, among other matters.
The PPP administration cannot deny that the Committee’s questions dealt with citizens’ concerns. The Government should now realise that its denialism and vituperation cannot disguise its vindictive violation of citizens’ human rights. It should have anticipated the recent revelation of its rotten record on human rights.