"In the past, each of us has made statements condemning African Guyanese atrocities against Indian Guyanese, and we condemn them even more strongly now, as the violence becomes more brutal...A similar though less brutal violence has begun to spread to African Guyanese victims... Today Buxton is a terror camp in which villagers have become prisoners. The psychological, social and cultural damage being done to that village surpasses anything since slavery, including the dreaded 1960s… The PNC, by not publicly breaking with those who have been pushing Black supremacy and violence and excusing murder, rape, and mayhem as revolution, has contributed in no small way to the crisis..."
        —Andaiye, David Hinds, and Eusi Kwayana, in letter to press, Sept 1

"…It doesn't matter who writes long letters in the newspapers, it doesn't matter who writes long editorials.., those people can't even find Buxton on the map but they want to analyse your problems and make prescriptions and the prescriptions usually are as follows, pacify Buxton, send in soldiers and police to kill all of you... That is nonsense there is crime throughout this country, and crime cannot be limited to Buxton."
        —Desmond Hoyte, during speech given in Buxton on Oct 10

The name rings sorts of images but one is certain to cross the minds of most of us who are willing to be honest-a danger zone, especially for Indians. Buxton is one village that the PPP government is not allowed in and if they dare try, it would be, to quote a WPA-ACDA Black rights activist, Mr. Tacuma Ogunseye, "be inviting trouble." Buxton is where even Buxtonians have come to live in fear-fear of the criminals who have shelter and support there, as well as their minority supporters who receive part of the hefty blood money loots.

Buxton is where one goes to locate an abandoned hijacked vehicle; it is where many dead bodies have surfaced; the latest being that of Mr. Camaldeo Ganesh, who was kidnapped and killed execution style, with bullet holes to his head, after his family could not deliver ransom money in quantity or time. Or so it seems, unless anti-Indians in the village killed him to prove a point that needs no proof anymore. It is where women, mostly Indians, have been pulled from buses and beaten, in front of their children; it is where, during elections time, Indians have been channa bombed as they pass through the village.

As with many things in Guyana, the politicians quarrel over who has the right to speak about Buxton. A few weeks ago, in a few letters, Kwayana and David Hinds, WPA personalities, have called Buxton a "terrorist camp," where child soldiers are being recruited and where the PNC (or part of the PNC) is using to promote its radical, anti-Indian program that borders on ethnic confrontation. Then, on October 10, Mr. Desmond Hoyte held a rally there. He called the likes of Hinds etc. "idiots" who do not know about Buxton. The PNC leader said that Buxton had no more criminals that other Guyanese villages, despite the evidence that say contrary.

But even Hoyte found resistance in Buxton. While he talked, some people lit squibs, cursed, and said that he should not go back there. This represents a serious and dangerous split in the community between a minority that has found heroes in the criminals and a force that is out to strike at Indians, or anyone sympathetic to Indians (as the Chester family that was burned out of their homes by armed arsonist-gunmen), as well as those Blacks who are now seen as too moderate. This includes the Hoyte-Trotman team in the PNC.

The other part of Buxton is the silent majority that does not partake in the crimes, but remain silent in criticism of the PNC or the criminals. They find themselves in confrontation with other Buxtonians of the first group. The south part of Buxton leading to the Buxton Backdam, now referred by some as "Buxghanistan," is now a sacred zone to the criminals, and even members of the majority group of Buxtonians have been barred from it. This majority must retake their village if the crime wave or ethnic killings are to stop. For starters, a group from UG has been approached (and agreed) to act as a facilitator as this group tries to save this remarkable village through economic and other programs. This is welcoming news.

They will be needed for the Buxtonians to rebuild a relationship with the police. The PPP will have to treat Buxton with more respect. The PPP has already made it quite clear that they consider Hoyte's call as a "ransom," which they shall not pay. This does not speak well. The PPP has, indirectly, fueled the anti-Indian campaign underway in Buxton via its police; e.g., the murder a Buxtonian, Mr. Shaka Blair, by Black Clothes has helped to create an atmosphere of vengeance that back lashed on Indians. In fact, this hatred for Indians among the gunmen has exacerbated since the Shaka murder and merciless police beatings of young Black males there; when a Buxtonian was found dead in a canal after a confrontation between GDF soldiers on patrol and gunmen a few weeks ago, and Buxtonians blamed the army, gunmen opened fire on vehicles passing through Buxton the following morning. Two Indian men were killed. Ethnic retaliation, again.

While there are many things unclear about Buxton, two things are certain. Unless Buxton is fixed and fixed quickly, there will be no let up of serious, hardcore crimes and its affinity with a radical, Black power base that is connected, arguably, to a factor within the PNC. There will be more kidnappings and random, pointless, almost sadistic killings such as the shooting of a minibus by a gunman after he disembarked, killing a passenger in the back seat. Nor will there be any reduction of that minority of Buxtonians who are willing to disrupt, beat up, and murder anyone for racial fun or profit or because they threaten their support for either the criminals or this radical black supremacy leadership.