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The Government of Guyana’a non-attendance at the August 25, 2023, Gladstone apologist event held at the University of Guyana’s George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT) is both disrespectful and reprehensible to the people of Guyana. This view was shared by Member of Parliament (MP), Hon. Amanza Walton-Desir (AWD), Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The 5th generation great-grandson of John Gladstone’s family came to make an apology for the enslavement of Africans and crimes against humanity on the 200th anniversary of the Demerara Slave Rebellion. Walton-Desir said that some senior government official should have been present “to witness an apology for a most reprehensible crime being issued to the people of Guyana.” She said the government lacked the decency with regard to the representation at this event especially with the President being in Guyana at this time.
During an ‘In The Ring’ interview with Sherod Duncan, Walton-Desir said the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) Government “pretends to be the champions of reparation and reparatory Justice for African Guyanese when the very acts that they are committing against the Afro Guyanese community in Guyana are almost on all fours of what our Guyanese ancestors would have experienced.” Speaking on the deprivation of ancestral lands the parliamentarian said, “We recall the incident at Kingelly (Region 5) where the Attorney General said to people go and take over lands: lands purchased by freed Africans.” Walton-Desir added that the hypocrisy is galling adding that the President’s speech saying to the people of Guyana that an apology is not enough in response to the Gladstones’ remorse and noted some of the same atrocities are committed every day on the citizens of Guyana by the PPP-led regime.
Walton-Desir further listed “the taking away of ancestral lands at Mocha Arcadia, the taking away of lands at Kingelly, the depravation of Afro Guyanese who are heavily invested in Co-op Lands” as she questioned how the government can Justify these atrocities and then on the international stage present themselves as the spokesperson for Afro Guyanese on the issue of reparations. The MP called it “hypocrisy”. “We will not stand for it, your words must be married to your actions and if truthful about what you are representing on the international stage, then it is time that we see different action here at home or else we will continue to call you out on the international scene especially when it comes to the trauma of Afro-Guyanese,” she stated.
The parliamentarian while passionately expressing that the trauma of slavery still lives in the African Guyanese DNA said “it must be understood and acknowledged by the Government of Guyana to put an end to the hypocrisy especially when one looks at the economics in Guyana.” Walton-Desir further stated that it is quiet hypocritical of the government to be demanding reparations for the same people that the government by their own actions are depressing in the domestic context.
The MP said, “I believe if Irfaan Ali is serious about reparatory justice for the descendants of enslaved Africans then he has to begin by halting this assault on land ownership.” She further outlined that the government should be looking to make arrangements and concessions so that descendants of enslaved Africans are able to meaningfully partake in the Oil and Gas economy and with positive actions that would bring trustworthiness to their words.
