Dear Editor,
The question is asked: Was The Honourable Mia Mottley right in sidestepping the achievements of Burnham on the liberation of the peoples of Southern Africa issue?
And the answer is: She was within her rights to do so.
She had every right to downplay Burnham’s contribution to the liberation of the peoples of Southern Africa, because of documented damnable evidence on Burnham. Yes, Burnham spoke up for, and gave tremendous support to, our oppressed brothers and sisters in Southern Africa; however, one must not forget that many, if not all, of the issues he stood up against the regime for, the very same evils Burnham practised here.
The very same dastardly acts Burnham stood for here in Guyana.
I would just like to recount a few of these: Under Burnham, there were no free and fair elections. Like the South African Apartheid oppressors, no free and fair elections were allowed in this country.
He systemically built up a black supremacist empire based on rigged elections, to the point where no one could dare challenge him. The Police, and by extension the Courts, were controlled by him, so that putting an end to the evil was almost an impossibility.
This subtle form of Black Apartheid saw the brutal slaying of many who dared to stand up against him, such as the “Ballot Box Martyrs” and Dr. Walter Rodney.
His was a system where political opponents were constantly harassed and killed. The Police and the courts were trained to prop up his regime. These were the blunt traumas we were called to bear, some of which are still visible today.
Further, Mia Mottley would have remembered the embarrassment she suffered when she had to lead 5 Prime Ministers into Guyana to end the disgraceful system of rigging and Black Apartheid, but was rebuffed. For five long months, this reprehensible situation dragged on, before a court put an end to it. The CCJ ruled that election results had to be declared on the basis of the votes cast, which was reflected in the SoPs.
So, yes, Burnham is noteworthy of good deeds towards the people of South Africa; however, his selfish and dictatorial efforts far supersede his good deeds, and the honourable lady hid her face in disgust on these counts. In this regard, she was duty bound. So the Honourable Mia Mottley was duty-bound to shy away from mentioning his name on an international stage.
The PNC must come to the realisation that not only was Prime Minister Mottley in her right not to highlight the virtues of Burnham, but the People of Guyana as a whole, who now live in a free democracy, would like her to do just that. Mia Mottley does not stand alone on this note, but the people of Guyana stand together with her on this issue.
Respectfully,
Neil Adams
