GEORGETOWN, Guyana– A state-owned broadcaster and the leading agency representing the interests of media workers have both loudly condemned an attack last weekend on two videographers covering an opposition public meeting — and both are also calling on the major political opposition alliance to not only condemn the actions, but to take steps to avoid repetition and escalation of what they fear as the possible return of a worrying tendency from the past.
The latest incident took place last Sunday (November 6, 2022) when, according to the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN), two of its staff were attacked while covering a meeting of the main opposition APNU-AFC in an East Bank Demerara village called Mocha.
According to a NCN statement Monday, “In the course of executing their duties to provide coverage of the meeting,” two of its cameramen “were attacked and intimidated…”
The statement also said the attackers were led by a sitting APNU-AFC parliamentarian, who it named as Nima Flue-Bess.
The NCN statement said: “Flue-Bess demanded that the cameramen present their IDs” and “Upon stating their place of employment, the cameramen were told there was no need for them to record the event”, although “other cameras were in place to cover the said event.”
The statement continued, “The cameramen having stood their ground to execute their duties, MP Flue-Bess then called the Police officials present to have them removed.”
According to NCN, “The Inspector and Sergeant on the scene engaged the cameramen and then threatened to seize their equipment if they recorded the event” and “It was only after the intervention of a Senior Police Officer that the cameramen were able to proceed with the execution of their duties.”
The NCN says, however, that this isn’t the first time its staff have been attacked by opposition representatives while on the job.
According to the statement, “During the National Toshao’s (Amerindian leaders) Conference in July, another camera-operator who arrived to give coverage to the Opposition’s reception… was turned away by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton.”
It also recalled that “Last May, in Linden, another NCN team was again attacked during a poorly-attended walk-about the Opposition had…”
NCN also recalled that “Last month, a member of our news team posed a question to Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton over his threats to remove Jermaine Figuera as Region 10 Party Chairman after he shook hands and interacted with President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, while on a walkabout in Linden.”
The statement continued, “After evading the question, Mr. Norton instead attacked the company’s coverage of his party’s events.”
According to the statement, “NCN forthrightly condemns these attacks by the APNU-AFC on its staff” and views it as “a direct attempt to intimidate and prevent them for performing their duties at a public event.”
It also said, “This exposes a glaring double-standard by the APNU-AFC which claim that NCN withholds coverage of their events.”
NCN lodged a formal complaint on Monday with the Guyana Police Force and has informed the Guyana Press Association (GPA), which has also issued its own statement saying it “condemns all acts of intimidation and attacks on media workers.”
It’s statement Monday said: “The GPA condemns this most reprehensible act of harassment and intimidation of media workers.”
The national media association also urged Guyana’s Opposition Leader Norton “to first and foremost set the tone of relations with the media by being forthcoming with proper and detailed answers, rather than being abrasive and evasive when asked for details and supporting evidence.”
The GPA also reiterated that “Media workers are to be respected by all and calls on politicians, as well as other members of the public, to respect the need for media workers to operate in an environment free of intimidation.”
The GPA is also forewarning that such attitudes should change before the upcoming national Local Government elections dur on March 13 and with Nominations due December 12.
It said, “As we approach another election cycle, the GPA expects that the media would be allowed to operate without intimidation, resentment and free from abuse, especially from those who hold political offices.”
Recalling earlier similar attitudes manifested in actions by some of the leading parties in opposition today, the GPA statement added: “Gone should be the era when a TV news camera is snatched and taken to Congress Place (Headquarters of the People’s National Congress that leads the APNU-AFC alliance), media workers are labeled vultures or identified in an unflattering manner by political figures at public meetings.”
The APNU-AFC and Opposition leader Norton haven’t yet issued statements in response to the allegations.