TNAG-0652-FCO40-801-Planning-Staff-papers-on-human-rights-and-foreign-policy-cou-1977 — Page 91

Right No.

CONFIDENTIAL

GUYANA

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(iv) The Government owns and controls a

morning and an evening daily paper. Opposition Peoples Progressive Party is allowed to publish a Communist newspaper which is for the most part critical of Government but this newspaper is by administrative means starved of news- print and machinery. Other critical broadsheets are not banned but publishers are intimidated by long drawn out libel actions and spurious charges under the Newspaper Publishing Act.

The

main radio station is Government controlled and allows little free comment; the other needs a licence to operate and feels obliged to toe the Government line and to deny time to controversial contributors. The ordinary man in the street risks his livelihood if he expresses critical comment publicly.

(v) The judiciary still formally retains its

historical independence, but several members are thought to be corrupt or open to Government pressure and it is clear that most judges take Government susceptibilities into account.

(vi)

The Government is trying hard to limit the scope of the Trade Union movement in Guyana. All unions are encouraged to affiliate to the ruling Peoples National Congress. Recent elections to the TUC Executive were so arranged that party hacks were elected to all top posts. However a large opposition PPP union has now joined the TUC and another large union still remains independent and reluctant to affiliate. There is still therefore a relative degree of freedom.

(vii) Guyanese are still free to emigrate but

we know of administrative delays that have been imposed vindictively by the Government.

CONFIDENTIAL

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