Police to investigate crime surge against Chinese Nationals

The Ministry of Home Affairs has joined with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) the Guyana/China Business Council in particular and the Chinese community in general in expressing its deep concern with respect to persistent incidents of robberies on business places owned by Chinese nationals many of whom are naturalized Guyanese.

In a strongly worded missive issued earlier today the Ministry said that it has observed that over the past months a pattern of incidents whereby Chinese businesses are being targeted by criminal elements.

“In many cases the occurrences are reflected in petty robberies and in some cases robberies under arms….However, in the majority of cases the Chinese nationals suffer physical injuries as a result of these criminal attacks.”

The Ministry says that it wishes to bring to the attention of the public that it has not gone unnoticed that the sudden surge in criminal attacks against members of the Chinese community in Guyana originated from and coincides with a politically inspired and orchestrated campaign  by known opposition elements.

“This campaign is characterized by sustained and systematic efforts of vilification, criminalization and xenophobic in character aimed primarily against the Chinese community.”

The Ministry says that from all indications it appears as if the criminals have taken their cue from opposition elements that are behind the hostile campaign launched against Chinese nationals resident in our country

As a result the concerns have since been formally drawn to the attention of the Commissioner of Police “with a view to having the Force apply strong investigative and corrective measures so as to provide the Chinese community with an appropriate comfort level so that they can continue to carry on with their legitimate business in Guyana.”

Such action on the part of the Police must be part and parcel of its overall Law Enforcement posture for the entire business community and by extension, the entire populace of Guyana.

The Chinese community constitutes the largest number of foreign nationals resident in Guyana followed by the Brazilians.

Only recently, Guyana observed the 160th Anniversary of the arrival of the Chinese to local shores.