Guyanese police strip protesting rice farmer

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) - -Rice farmers in Guyana marched and blocked roads on Friday in protest against the late payment of fees for crops sold to millers.

During the protest it's alleged that police stripped one of the protest leaders on the Essequibo coast.

“My pants was torn down. I was almost naked and all my privates were exposed," said Chairman of the Paddy Farmers Association, Naith Ram.

One newspaper on Saturday splashed a photo on its front page of Ram, who is also a regional councillor for parliamentary Opposition party, Alliance for Change, standing on the roadway clad only in an open shirt with pants and underwear at his ankles, purportedly after the police stripping.

Police said crowds, at various points of the protest, hurled bottles and stones at officers who then retaliated with tear gas.

Although the lawmen said no arrests were made, there have been unconfirmed late reports of persons being taken into custody.

Late Friday there were still fires at the district of 'Land of Plenty', causing roads to remain impassable as demonstrators vow to remain until they get satisfactory responses.

"We will stay whole night till [President Donald] Ramotar or [Dr Roger Luncheon] come here,” one rice farmer, who identified himself as Bhim Singh, told a newspaper.

While rice millers, who the protesting farmers accuse of frequent late payment, are usually large businessmen, there is a strong relationship with government that not only lays down regulations but also seeks export markets for the Guyanese staple.