Disappointed with dropping of claim
I AM rather disappointed that the Big Food Group owners of the Iceland chain of Food Stores have abandoned their 12 million pounds sterling claim against Guyana.

Their original position was that they ought to be compensated for the Nationalization of the Sugar Estates etc. They say that the value was about 186 million pounds sterling, but were kind enough to claim only 12 million pounds sterling, approximately $3,300 million Guyana Dollars.

If this claim was not abandoned, I was prepared to go along with other patriots to lodge a court claim for at least 1000million pounds sterling extracted from this land, and African workers during slavery.

One English writer dealing with the overthrow of colonial slavery noted that the British made ‘fabulous fortunes’ as a result of the inhumane process of using African labour to produce sugar and other crops.

At the end of four centuries of this free labour, the slaves were not compensated, instead the former slave ‘owners were compensated.

Additionally, I would have urged the descendants of immigrants who were brought here to toil for small wages in unhappy conditions, to also submit a claim.

Why were we not informed about this earlier, bothers me?

We must not have short memories.
HAMILTON GREEN

MARCH 22, 2003

He was  Burnham's right-hand and the former Prime Minister. He is now the Mayor of Georgetown. 

Nationalization was done during the PNC's Government. Hamilton Green and Sir Ramphal were senior members in Burnham's obeah Government