WPA condemns authors of 'Five for Freedom' handbill
Stabroek News
May 4, 2002

Related Links: Articles on Mashramani Day Jailbreak
Letters Menu Archival Menu

The Working People's Alliance (WPA) has condemned "out-of-hand" those who have issued the handbill in current circulation threatening police units, government officials and their families.

A similar handbill issued in the name of the five February 23 prison escapees was circulated during the funeral procession for Buxtonian Shaka Blair.

The WPA said in a press release yesterday that "all investigating agencies, including the press, should have the duty of finding out the source and origin of these extremely provocative handbills of criminal intent."

Noting that the recent handbill targets large groupings of people without regard to guilt or innocence, the WPA said "this is the kind of threat which can earn whole communities the reputation of blood-thirstiness."

The release said further that those adopting the guise of the five escaped prisoners, or the prisoners themselves, or agents of mischief, are threatening action which can endanger members of the population at random.

"Already many innocent bystanders have been hurt. With these wholesale threats, worse is now likely," the WPA opined.

According to the party, women and children will be the worst sufferers, and at present in some areas, the young generation is undergoing rapid malformation due to violence and instability.

Those responsible may then express regret, as they did in two handbills, over the killing of prison officer Troy Williams and the grave injury to prison officer Roxanne Winfield, the WPA said.

The party declared that "regret is never a sufficient remedy for lives lost and violations of the person".