Amerindian Peoples Association maintaining call for accountability and justice for MV Barima tragedy

Intensifying calls for justice, and accountability, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) returned to the picket line on Wednesday to build pressure on the Government to have the Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar, removed from office in wake of the MV Barima tragedy.

The peaceful picketing exercise in front of the Office of the President late Wednesday afternoon drew support from a number of civil society actors, human rights activists and indigenous leaders from as far as Mabaruma in Region One, and Upper Mazaruni in Region Seven.

Politician and Human Rights Advocate, Laura George was among those calling for justice, accountability, and for urgent steps to be taken to correct the systemic failures that led to the sinking of the 87-year-old vessel.

With 73 bodies recovered and approximately 30 persons still missing, George told News Source that it is also important for the Government to have the boat lifted from the ocean floor as a matter of urgency.

“The nation deserves the truth; the nation deserves accountability and justice. So, I am actually here to reiterate and amplify the voice that we need answers. And my banner says float the boat now, not to treat it as a salvage operation, a piecemeal operation but float the entire boat because we need answers,” George said.

George said families deserve closure, and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the deadly incident must clearly determine the state of the vessel at the time of the tragedy.

The captain of the vessel, Kevin Price and two other persons – Rondell Roberts, the Chief Mate; and Delon Granderson, the Goods Superintendent – have been charged with 72 counts of murder, but George insisted that the charges are misdirected and ought to be dropped.

Vice President of the APA, Mario Hastings said such a tragedy must never occur again as he called for the broken system to be addressed without delay.

Reynold Hutson, the Toshao of Hobedia in Northwest District, Region One echoed similar sentiments. He said the nation remains in mourning, and the Irfaan Ali Administration cannot escape responsibility for this national tragedy that was avoidable.

“To begin with, it was their negligence, negligence and the government can’t escape blame for that because you have an 87-year-old vessel, ferry vessel. That ferry vessel was made for that time, that time you didn’t have to deal with climate change and all the impact that it cause with high breeze. Secondly, there is misconduct there again in the Transport and Habour Section because you don’t a manifest to show how much passenger was on that boat and onto now, don’t matter what the Government may say, there are unaccountable passengers who were on that boat,” Hutson told News Source.

Hutson’s sister, Annie Garraway also of Region One said the MV Barima was known to be problematic for years, but its many issues were ignored.

“He is the head for Transport and Harbour Department. If he says the boat have to go, the boat have to go. Those guys were not working on a private vessel. It is not a private vessel, it is the government vessel and we need justice and we need it now because how long we ain’t get justice, we are not stopping protesting,” Garraway said.

Noting that many of the persons who boarded the MV Barima on that ill-fated day were indigenous people, Garraway said the Government has treated the indigenous people of Guyana with scant regard, and its failure to meet with organizations such as the APA, and other concerned citizens, enforces that position.

“The Government say they care so much for the indigenous people but I don’t think. I don’t think so. Because if he say so much he care for for us, he could have been out here, the people protesting, let me go and see what is their problem, what they are out there for, if even he got to tell us lie again, we would listen to him, and hear what he has to say. You ain’t see none of them face, none of them face you are not seeing, none of them,” Garraway said.

Meanwhile, Janelle Persaud, a rights advocate, said it is time for the system to be fixed, as she too called for accountability.

‘I think consecutive governments in this country have had enough time to start the work of fixing things from the ground up, and I am here to join the APA, and others in calling for, not only for a level of accountability but for them to be serious about addressing that. They have talked about the COI, so yes, we have to wait for that but we have seen an act of damage control, going into communities, and suddenly listening to people’s concerns, a model village and all of these things but we are not hearing them talk about what they are actually going to do to make sure that this here never happens again. Let’s see the reforms that are going to be taking place, let’s hear about those. We don’t need to wait for the outcome of a COI to know that so many things failed that resulted in this significant tragedy,” Persaud reasoned.

Clyde Henry of Upper Mazaruni and Alma Marshall, who is the Toshao of Kamarang/Warawatta Village also stood on the picket line in solidarity with the people of Region One, and everyone affected by the tragedy.

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