Stop Guyanese Refugees

Suriname tightens security after massacre in Guyana
Published on Wednesday, January 30, 2008
By Ivan Cairo Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Security forces in Suriname are in a state of alert after the gruesome murder of eleven people in Lusignan in neighbouring Guyana, security officials here disclosed. The Suriname Police Force and the National Army have increased patrols in Nickerie along the border with Guyana, Nickerie police chief inspector Kenneth Bruining and police spokesman under-inspector Humphrey Naarden told reporters. According to Naarden, police stations received instruction from police headquarters to be more vigilant. Patrols on the Corantyne River and the so-called backtrack route on the Nickerie River have been increased, while according to eyewitnesses inspection of passengers travelling this route from Guyana to Suriname is also being done more thoroughly. Police say however that there is no indication that the perpetrators of the attacks in Lusignan crossed the border. “In close cooperation with the National Army we are keeping a close eye on the developments in Guyana and its possible outfall,” said Bruining. Meanwhile the Surinamese embassy in Georgetown is appealing to Surinamese nationals travelling to Guyana to be very cautious. “Especially on the East Coast Demerara the situation was very explosive the past days,” Charlo Doedel, Counsellor at the embassy told ‘de Ware Tijd’ newspapers in an invited comment. He insisted that all individuals travelling to Guyana do so through the legal point of entry to avoid being arrested for illegal entry, since police are checking vehicles travelling along the East Coast. “All vehicles, including buses carrying passengers from Suriname, are being checked and illegal passengers risk a fine of US$125 and several weeks in jail,” said Doedel. He further noted that the embassy so far has not received reports from Surinamese who might have been molested by protesters on the East Coast. Doedel also disclosed that as standard procedure in cases of riots and disturbances in countries where Suriname has an embassy Surinamese nationals are being urged to report regularly at the mission.