See below statement from the Ethnic Relations Commission
ERC VISITS WEST COAST BERBICE FAMILIES
ERC Chairman, General Bishop, Reverend John Oswald Smith, Commissioners and staff on Thursday, September 17, 2020, visited the grieving families of the Henry cousins, Isaiah and Joel and Haresh Singh, offering prayers and words of comfort to parents and guardians of the slain youths.
The team visited the homes, still overwhelmed by complete sadness as parents and relatives repeated their on-going plea for justice to be served. The murdered young men all lived a short distance away from each other in the closely-knit community.
The ERC team witnessed first-hand the Henry families are of mixed ancestry and relatives are from both major ethnic groups. The adult relatives were vocal and expressed shock that the murders were being promoted as crimes of race hate. They suggested that residents in the community are not pre-occupied with racial intolerance.
During the visit, relatives informed the team that the Police were still in the backlands of the community conducting investigations. The ERC Chairman told the grieving families to remain hopeful of the outcome of the investigations.
The ERC, as a non-political body, remains entirely committed to fostering peace and unity in the Guyanese multi-ethnic society, while the recent tragedies have brought to the fore the importance of tolerance and understanding among all.
September 22, 2020
