Royston Drakes Production

A woman was reportedly stabbed to death by her husband in a room at the Alpha Hotel located in Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara this afternoon.
Dead is Kim Halley who resided at Lamaha Park, Georgetown.
The Police are reporting that the body of the 46-year-old woman was found with 13 stab wounds to her face and hands, and her neck was slashed.

The Police report explained that a further examination was made and a wound measuring 10 inches in width and 5 inches in depth was seen on her neck. The white bedsheet was soaked in blood. A knife handle without a blade was seen next to the body on the bed. The blade was subsequently found in the deceased woman’s hair, covered in blood.
The woman’s body was found lying motionless, facing upwards on a bed, partially clothed according to the Police.
Her 50-year-old husband has since surrendered to the police after committing the gruesome act.

Reports are that at about 13:45 hours today, the woman and the suspect arrived at the hotel and checked into Room #235, which they proceeded to and occupied.

At about 14:30 hrs, the hotel staff said they heard screams coming from room 235 and about 15 minutes after, the suspect exited the room and left the hotel to an unknown destination.

Staff then discovered the door slightly open and found the woman lying motionless on the bed.

A report was made to the police and the EMT was summoned. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The body was escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting a PME.

At about 16:30 hrs this afternoon, the suspect was arrested at the Criminal Investigation Department HQ. He was placed into custody. An Investigation is in progress.

Greetings to all Guyanese media workers on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2023.

This year’s theme is “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights”

Freedom of Expression is one of the fundamental human rights that is enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights which was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1948.

This is mirrored in Article 146 of Guyana’s Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land, which states that “except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, that is to say, freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information without interference and freedom from interference with his correspondence.”

Therefore, we can appreciate the critical role the media plays in creating awareness about the other human rights and fundamental freedoms that Guyanese are entitled to.

In particular, journalists are regarded by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as playing that key and critical role of disseminating verifiable facts and making complex matters intelligible for the public at large.

 

This is why the Guyana Press Association (GPA) has embarked on a concerted effort at educating Guyanese and media practitioners themselves about their various roles and responsibilities. The integrity of journalism will continue to be under threat in Guyana not merely because of partisan interests, but because everyone who disseminates clearly partisan, and unverifiable content that passes off as interviews or discussions self-classify and hold themselves out as journalists.

 

This year’s World Press Freedom Day is being observed at a time when there appears to be a creeping intolerance to media that seek answers especially from the political directorates across Guyana’s major political divide.  The resort to defaming the character of journalists on a politically-aligned social media page or the expletive-laced response to a journalist are themselves a violation of Article 12 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights that protects people against attacks upon their honour and reputation.

 

Today, we see  renewed efforts by the sitting government to use its leverage in the State Media and its aligned privately-owned media to violate the inalienable right to freedom of association as enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Constitution of Guyana. The sitting government is evidently coercing those workers to engage in practices that are inimical to the Guyana Press Association at the altar of political expediency, hence the collective well-being of their organised body. There had been failed attempts in the past to do so through the partisan Union of Guyanese Journalists (UGJ).

 

Decades later, the government has embarked on a two-pronged strategy of using its leverage and pressure on media workers in the State media and sympathetic privately-owned media to take over the GPA, and if that fails to form what it sees as a parallel organisation.

 

The GPA is of the clear and unambiguous position that the government’s sole interest is to control the narrative of the reality of the Guyanese media landscape locally, regionally and internationally.

 

Our international partners and affiliates are being kept abreast of these efforts to derail the GPA.

 

This is being resisted. The GPA seeks the solidarity of all freedom-loving Guyanese including civil society actors and international development stakeholders.

 

Journalists will soon have an opportunity to elect a new executive of the Guyana Press Association that will be free from partisan control. This ultimately depends on media workers coming out to vote.

 

At the end of the day, what matters is that “Freedom of expression is a driver for all other human rights”

 

Happy World Press Freedom Day 2023.

 

 

The heads of missions for the ABCE countries in a joint press statement have issued a call for media workers in Guyana to be allowed to do their work without any unnecessary duress or risk to their safety in order to access information.

In the statement released in observed of International Press Freedom Day which is being observed under the theme: Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights,” the diplomats have underscored that the media plays a pivotal role in society by disseminating facts for public consumption and helping citizens in Guyana stay informed, established opinion, make informed choices and participate in meaningfully in society.

According to the ABCE diplomats the media also allows for transparency and accountability which are important components for Guyana’s management of resources during a time of rapid growth, as such it is imperative that all stakeholders which includes government and the opposition maintain a mutually respectful relationship with the media in its capacity as the fourth estate and as a vital part of democracy in action.

This the top diplomats said translates to granting the media access to public officials and to information should be the norm. Requests for public information should be honoured, as they said the 2013 Access to information Act should be effectively implemented to empower the media to do their job.

Further, the four said that media worker should not be restricted not have to work under unnecessary duress or risk to their safety in order to have access to information. They should not face abuse, threats, intimidation or personal attacks in the execution of their duties, nor should they be expected to align with any specific idea, person, entity or political party, whether directly or anonymously. The media’s role is to provide objective and impartial reporting, which is essential to maintaining a healthy democracy and ensuring that all voices are heard. Therefore, it is important that employees of the media are protected and are able to carry out their duties without fear.

We discourage the practice of selectiveness in granting access to information or to public officials under the guise of media bias.

Additionally, the diplomats said as we reflect on the past thirty years of advocacy for media freedom, we recognise that despite how far we have come, work remains. Together we must continue to develop the role that the media plays in promoting democracy, transparency and accountability and work collectively to understand the expectations of all stakeholders. They also called on the media, Government, Opposition, and all stakeholders to recognise the roles and responsibilities of the media and its benefits to the people of Guyana.