A brutal attack on Press Freedom

The association, in a statement yesterday, said it was a “dastardly act” that was clearly intended to stop the work of one of our leading dailies.

It urged media workers to take all the necessary precautions to ensure their personal safety adding that they must remain vigilant at all times.

The GPA is also calling on the security forces to take the necessary steps to ensure there are no repeat attacks on media houses and to find the perpetrators of what it called, “this deadly rampage.”

It added that “the media has a responsibility to report on all events and such reports must never be seen as a reason to injure or kill media workers or damage any media operations.”

The Association said the attack on the Kaieteur News printery, the second in three years, cannot be seen as any other thing than an attack at silencing the media and warned that “this direct attack on Kaieteur News could also impact on media workers at other media houses as they go about their duties.

“The GPA is also urging responsibility from those politicians appearing on political platforms during this campaign period adding that it has” taken note of the singling out of certain media houses by politicians, adding it must cease forthwith.

“While this incident has unfortunately rattled another pillar of the state, media workers must remain resolute and steadfast in ensuring that our foundation is not fragmented, as we go about our jobs in the public’s interest,” the GPA added.

It further stated that the killing of the printery workers underscores the vital but often unsung importance of technical staff in the daily work of reporters and photographers.

The GPA said it trusts that the death of the men will not go in vain and while it offered sincere condolences to the relatives of those who died, the Association said it supports the position taken by Kaieteur News publisher Glen Lall to continue with the publication of the newspaper.