President meeting with Canal residents, assures...
Bottlenecks to business, social advancement will be dealt with
By Chamanlall Naipaul
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has assured residents of Canals Polder, West Bank Demerara, that the purpose of his government is to help and facilitate the Guyanese people to improve their lives. However, he observed that in many cases this is being stagnated by the bureaucratic attitude of some governmental agencies.

One of the major problems the President dealt with was the delay aquaculture farmer Abdul Saleem Azeez is facing in getting his project approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In acknowledging the problem, President Jagdeo assured the young businessman that he would address the matter at Cabinet level and speak with officials of the EPA to get the process moving faster.

The proprietor of the fish farm said he has invested some $150M into the venture, which began some three years ago, adding that it was something he always wanted to do. Now, "it is a like dream come true," he added.

One of the unique features of the farm, which spans 790 acres of land at Boeraserie, is that it has its own nursery and hatchery for the development of fingerlings, and Azeez said he is willing to share and spread the technology with persons who are in similar ventures. Prior to this, he added, fingerlings had to be imported - which was costly to do.

Presently, the farm has 28 fish ponds with a two-acre area each, but only half of them are in operation at the moment, however, the long-term plan is to develop 360 ponds over the next ten years, the proprietor disclosed.

As part of the development of the venture a water recycling plant, and a processing plant are earmarked to be established as well as facilities to convert solid waste into fish feed.

However, the proprietor said he needs greater support from governmental agencies in accelerating the pace of establishing the venture, pointing out that he has failed to obtain duty-free concessions on inputs and equipment required for the project.

Azeez said it would be capable of producing 100 000 pounds of fish per pond per week, enough to satisfy both the local and foreign markets.

Another issue being explored by Azeez is the linking of the Kamuni Creek with the Boeraserie Conservancy to maintain water levels during dry spells and the clearing of the Potosi channel to improve drainage in the area, which can pose a threat to the farm during heavy rainfall.

Azeez told the Chronicle that he has offered to do the required work if fuel is provided by the National Drainage and Irrigation Board. He is awaiting a response.

Another problem addressed by the President was the state of the Canal Polder No. 2 main roadway which is in dire need of repairs, and the upgrading of a dam to become an alternative roadway, especially for school children, because the increasingly heavy vehicular traffic on the main roadway is making it dangerous for children to use.

The President informed the residents that he would be addressing these problems in the shortest possible time.

He also visited the farm of a resident in No. 2, Bhiro Persaud, that was destroyed by fire during the last prolonged dry season. The President was told that crops have not grown on the soil since.

The President requested Minister of Agriculture (Ag.) Satyadeow Sawh, who accompanied him, to send in soil scientists to determine the problem and take the necessary measures to overcome the problem.

Other issues raised by residents included lack of electricity and water in the new housing schemes, Parfait/La Harmonie in No. 1 and Belle West in No. 2. Also a businessman from No. 1 requested help to obtain land to establish a milk pasteurization plant.

The President promised to deal with all the issues raised, but exhorted residents that cooperation was essential to achieve progress. He added that the members of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) should be more visible and meet with people more often to explain issues and listen to people's problems.

Business booms for Easter Monday
Christine Sukhram
DOWNTOWN Georgetown was a hype of activities yesterday as excited buyers with their children in tow made purchases of kites and clothing in the countdown to the most anticipated holiday of the year since Mash.

They expect to joint thousands this Easter Monday on the seawalls, pastures, the gardens, and other open spaces who'll be flying kites, armed with picnic baskets, drinks, food and music.

Shop owners were busy also as many shoppers crowded the few open bargain shops, especially on Regent Street, to make last-minute purchases.

As for the kite vendors, it was sheer business as the shoppers chose from a wide range of plastic and beautifully coloured kites, selling for as low as $800 to a high of $2 500, adorned with stickers of popular animated television cartoons.

Kite vendor Andre Gilbert, who has been in the business for over six years, said yesterday was "good"; he'd sold about 20 kites - and the day was far from over.

Gilbert specializes in making four-feet plastic, coloured kites.

One excited woman with her three children told the Guyana Chronicle that she brought them to the city to purchase kites for today. She plans to prepare food and take her children to the National Park to fly their kites.

Business was also "very good" for Regent Street clothes vendor Sandra Recon yesterday.

"I sold many clothing, especially ladies jeans, tops and children clothing," she said.

On the eve on Easter Monday several retail and wholesale stores and shopping plazas were open for business.

The indication was that other places countrywide boomed with business as bargain hunters flocked markets, retail outlets and street stalls to purchase clothing and kites, all of which were in abundance.

On the East Coast of Demerara, children could be seen in open spaces flying various kites, including the popular "caddy old punch".

Berbice man critical after armed robbery
POLICE in Berbice are investigating an armed robbery at a ranch at Blairmont backlands Saturday night that left a 50-year-old caretaker critically injured and his 59-year-old wife sexually assaulted.

Police said seven armed bandits invaded the ranch. One or a number of them dealt the man several chops and four of the seven sexually assaulted the woman.

According to a report reaching police, the couple was confronted at the ranch by the seven masked bandits around 20:30 hours or 8.30 p.m. Saturday.

They demanded cash and jewelry. Just at that point the men chopped the caretaker on his head, left shoulder and right ankle, and then assaulted his wife.

Police said they escaped with $800,000 in cash and other articles. It wasn't clear yesterday if they violently attacked the couple before or after they received the loot.

The caretaker was transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in a serious condition.

Police, on the East Coast of Demerara, meantime, are trying to determine the identity of a man, whose body was discovered locked away in the trunk of a car, PHH 4741, on Vigilance seawall early yesterday.

Police said the body had a gunshot wound to the chest.

State-of-the-art forestry centre likely by next month
A STATE-of-the-art training centre to boost forest conservation in Guyana will be ready for operation by next month.

The initiative, which will launch full-scale training for all stakeholders in that sector, will be managed by the Forestry Training Centre (FTC) at the urging of international forestry community for better systems to be put in place and for an upgrading of standards towards certification.

Coordinator of FTC, Mr. Goedfrey Marshall, informed the Guyana Chronicle that FTC is committed to teaching individuals the appropriate techniques to harvest timber and in the process reducing the negative impact on the forest.

Mr. Marshall stated that the construction of an access road into the site is ongoing.

The FTC recently received a significant boost when one of its partners Tropical Forest Foundation donated the core machines, namely a skidder, bulldozer and a log loader.

The Centre will have dorms, a small workshop, kitchen, an office, computer centre, classrooms fully equipped with training facilities, and demonstration plots in the field.

The Centre will be located at Manaka, a concession owned by Toolsie Persaud Limited, which has some 6,000 hectares of virgin forest.

He however noted that this operation will not compete with the Guyana School of Agriculture or the University of Guyana but will do training at a very practical level.

He added that the forest enterprises are sort of lagging behind, and while the University of Guyana and the Guyana School of Agriculture produce graduates, most of whom lack the practical experience to contribute to a rapid change in the capacity, of forest enterprise.

"So basically FTC is offering vocational training in reduced impact logging, and we start from the point of view that like having a cricket or football team, we have good players but there is need for a bit more coaching, to produce better results" he explained.

The team of competent persons numbering some twenty, include drivers and camp attendants, and the others are listed as technical staff. These include instructors, an Admin Manager, Project Coordinator, Coordinator, Foresters and technicians.

He pointed out that the Foresters are all graduates of UG and while they are responsible for the technical aspect, the specialists are skilled in tree spotting, chain saw operations, machinery operations.

The FTC presently has another training centre in Demerara at Charabaru on a concession of Variety Woods and Greenheart Limited.

"It’s all about taking timber from the forest and causing as little damage as possible" he explained.

The training will also correct the bad handling of expensive machinery, bad forestry roads, the production of poor quality timber, trees badly felled and accidents, he noted.

According to the Coordinator of FTC the field facility which will facilitate a logging operation will offer training in a different way, practical hands-on fashion, allowing trainees from Forestry Sector to participate in every detail of the operations, including how to build the bridges, the roads, how to do invention and mapping, operating the machinery, how to prepare a tree and area before felling and the actual felling of trees.

He pointed out that they have already received requests from Variety Woods and Greenheart Limited and Barama for training for their staff and anticipates that other companies will approach the Centre when the field facility is in place.

The Management of Variety Woods and Greenheart and Barama "recognize the value of training for their operatives, and of course they are working towards certification" Mr. Marshall said.

Several training sessions were already held, at Charabaru including a regional one that had stakeholders from French Guiana, Suriname, Belize and Guyana with support from World Wildlife Fund (Guianas) and hosted by the Guyana Forestry Commission and FTC.

The FTC team benefited from an extensive training of trainers course in Brazil and had the expertise of some consultants from Australia, so they are fully equipped, he pointed out.

FTC is a partnership between the Forest Association Products of Guyana, Tropical Forest Foundation and the Guyana Forestry Commission and funded by ITT International Tropical Timber Organisation and DFID.

Giving a background of the FTC he explained, "Our policy makers have been concerned that the Forestry Sector does not contribute to national development as well as they expect given their resources, one of the reasons being a shortage of skilled labour, in the sector".

He added that over the past ten years the government has tried to address all institutional issues that can help the forestry sector and at this stage what they are working on is to help forest enterprises do a better job as far as forest management is concerned.

"So on the Government side they formed the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), and there is a new forest policy statement, draft legislation, there is a code of practice, training of forest officers in special skills," he continued.

One national requirement is that companies should implement the Code of Practice but most do not have the 'know how', hence the need for FTC.

Dr. Peter Van Der Hout, the Project Coordinator of the Forestry Training Centre (FTC) evaluated the past workshops as very good yielding positive results.

He said all participants are able to observe the entire system, and hailed it as an eye opener, with very good feedback.

He added that large companies involved in RIL will receive economic benefits from embracing such a policy.

"Personally, large companies have economic benefits, it brings whole structure of the operations where people use their minds more than their hands and machines" he pointed out.

From a long term perspective it would be more cost effective on machinery, he explained, noting that the programme is not only focused on RIL but also teaching people how to use machines properly.

SOCA golf wonder for Barbados Open
TEENAGE golf wonder Christine Sukhram is scheduled to play in the Pepsi Open in Barbados next week, and SOCA will be assisting with her sponsorship to attend the game, and for her to be accompanied by her dad.

That's after Guyana Distillers Limited SOCA Soft Drinks agreed last week to sponsor her.

According to DDL, the sponsorship package is part of a new programme - SOCA Star Reach - aimed at identifying and supporting young talented Guyanese who have the potential to be stars in their area.

Over the next few years, SOCA Soft Drinks will support a limited number of such Guyanese, and will make direct contributions to their continued growth and success.

Giving an insight into the sponsorship programme, Marketing Manager Antonius Raghuansie said, "SOCA Soft Drinks celebrates who we are as Guyanese: Our heritage, our culture, our desire to succeed, and our hopes and dreams. These attributes and talents must be nurtured in our young people and where we see a demonstration of dedication, discipline and determination SOCA will endeavour to provide support."

Christine Sukhram, the first SOCA Star, is 15 years' old. Christine has proven to be a highly dedicated and motivated golfer who spends practically all of her spare time training. Trained by her proud father, she has maintained a consistent record of wins in all of the competitions in which she has participated over the past three years. Among the competitions she has won are the KFC tournament in 2001, Le Meridien and Mazaruni Granite tournaments in 2002 and the "Best Ladies" competition in 2003.

Christine is currently competing for the under-13 handicap and is determined to take her local success to the international courses. She had her first outing to Trinidad last month. She placed first at one tournament and second at another.

Rape accused for court tomorrow
THE man accused of raping his friend's girlfriend is to return to court tomorrow.

Troy Elder was refused bail when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen April 6 on the indictable charge.

Elder, of Lot 149 Third Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, was not required to plea after the court heard what allegedly took place. The victim, the 21-year-old girlfriend of another friend, was reportedly taken to spend the afternoon of April 3 at Elder's home, following a quarrel with her sister-in-law at theirs.

Police said Elder invited the virtual complainant to rest on his bed and when she did, he then forced himself on her.

In another case before her, Chief Magistrate Holder-Allen sentenced Dunstan George, 26, to two months' imprisonment for larceny from the person.

The thief (no address given) admitted snatching a gold chain worth $30,000 from Dianne Jenis on April 5.

Police Chief Inspector Gordon Peters said Jenis was walking along Regent Street, Georgetown, when George approached her from behind and grabbed the jewel.

Prosecutor Peters said a policeman on duty nearby responded to the alarm and captured George with the booty in his possession. (Shawnel Cudjoe)

Guyana Market goes online
A NEW online market place has been launched in Guyana. The launching took place last week at Cara Inn, Pere Street, Kitty.

Established under the name Guyana Market, its website address is www.guyanamarket .com.

Guyana Market is an on line market place where persons can have their products and services advertised for sale.

While Guyana market is intended to provide merchants and retailers the opportunity for increased sales - be they in urbanised or remote areas, it will also welcome clients who are operating on an individual basis or smaller scale.

The management team of Guyana marketing team has done extensive marketing research in all regions of Guyana, and guarantees that customers’ products and services advertised will be seen even in remote areas, where there are wireless Internet Café facilities.

Products you may consider advertising include: vehicles, land, homes, motor cars and cycles, computers, household items, electronic items, spare parts and lots more.

Their email address is guyanamarket@yahoo.com or simply visit their website at www.guyanamarket .com for a great new and rewarding online relationship.

Guest Editorial
A political earthquake
HISTORY was made in St. Kitts on Thursday last when Isis, the daughter of the first Premier of St. Kitts, Robert L. Bradshaw, bedecked in her yellow shirt, mounted the PAM platform in St. Pauls and introduced the Political Leader of PAM as the next Prime Minister of St. Kitts.

Well, as Paul Keans Douglas would say, "Who tell her to say dat?" The fallout was immediate and ferocious. Reportedly a call came in from London or Singapore, wherever the Prime Minister was, denouncing her action. And Labour proceeded to do what they do best - Condemn people who chose to think differently!

Earle Clarke, the one who like a stuck record, week after week, tells nationals look on the positive side of things, could find nothing positive about this act and regarded it as "shameful". Other Labour supporters, through the radio and internet expressed the fact that she had disgraced her father.

It is interesting to note that no one was really surprised that Isis had rejected the Labour Party considering the treatment they had meted out to her mother and herself since her father died. It was only at the last minute they were invited to the unveiling of his bust at the airport and they have shown scant regard for them even though they use the name of Robert Bradshaw whenever it suits them. What they did not expect was that she would show such independent thinking and courage to mount PAM's platform in St. Pauls of all places.

It seems that Minister Astaphan conveniently forgot that his father ran against Bradshaw and the Labour Party in times past. He would regard himself as an individual thinker but no such compliment must be paid to Isis. Nor did Earle Clarke, the self-proclaimed 'positive thinker' attribute this 'freedom of expression' as something enshrined in the lady's human rights.

Godson of Robert Bradshaw, Prime Minister Douglas, who no doubt thinks that St. Pauls was left in Bradshaw's will for him, must be scratching his head feverishly and trying to fathom whether Bradshaw's godson or his daughter will hold more sway with the good folk of St. Pauls.

The reverberation of this political earthquake was felt among `Kittitians’ all over the world and it remains to be seen how Labour will counteract this. Will they make strenuous efforts to win her back to the fold or will they mount a campaign to condemn and disgrace her? Of course it would be too much to hope that this will be a wake up call for them and that they will look within themselves and ask why so many people are turning their backs on them. They will probably deduce that the level of bribery in St. Pauls must go a notch higher.

Isis must be congratulated for her courage and independent thinking! More power to her! (Reprinted courtesy of St. Kitts/Nevis Democrat)

What Easter should mean
GUYANESE are climaxing Easter celebrations today with traditional kite flying and family fun-day treats.

Kite flying is a business calendar bonanza. But it isn't exclusively commercial. Kite flying for many Christians symbolizes the ascension of Jesus into heaven days after his resurrection and their recognition of the hope His raising from the dead brings to human salvation.

As visits to the National Park, the seawall bandstand and other areas in Guyana will demonstrate, Guyanese of all shades and colours and affiliations will converge together to fly their kites or picnic in a spirit of camaraderie and togetherness, conscious of their uniqueness but also of their inescapable destiny as a multi-racial people molded into one nation. That's what Easter should mean.

Those who continually claim to speak for and represent each of the other major ethnic groups should go out there and learn from what they'll see. What they'll behold are gatherings of scores, hundreds and thousands of Guyanese living their convictions that we are all Guyanese, and that no activism revolving around race hate is going to detract from their choice, desire, obligation and commitment to being one people.

PERSPECTIVES
ETHNIC CULTURE VERSUS CIVIC CULTURE
BY PREM MISIR
ONE of the private print media reported that the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) believes that children should not be tutored about the six races in Guyana, but rather only about one human race. I have not seen the ERC's media release, so I will not pronounce on their alleged remarks. However, I will take this opportunity to explain the absurdity about a common ethnic culture.

Cultural similarities & differences
These six races really are six ethnic groups where each group has a shared cultural heritage. Each group's culture represents adaptations to solve problems and to fulfill needs. We must understand the different cultural adaptations utilized by different ethnics, in order to better appreciate their ways of living. A difficulty in ethnic and race relations is that we tend to focus a lot more on the differences among ethnics, and de-emphasize similarities. However, this cultural appreciation would enable us to identify such similarities.

How? In one word, 'cultural universals'. These are common practices found in all cultures. The common practices weave cultural similarities among different ethnics. Anthropologist George Murdock gave a few examples of these practices as: family, marriage, dancing, language, music, housing, sexual restrictions, laws, food habits, etc. These common practices really are adaptations people use to fulfill their essential needs, as need for food, shelter, entertainment, family. However, although these practices are universal, the way in which they are expressed may change from one ethnic group to the next. At any rate, widespread acceptance of cultural similarities by different ethnics is sustained. Therefore, the need to appreciate other people's cultures is necessary. Why? Appreciation helps to recognize similarities among us, and appreciation assists us to understand how people from different cultures adapt to solve their problems. This cultural appreciation is a product of learned behavior - absurdity of a common ethnic culture.

At another level, obsession with ethnic differences and not similarities has driven people to believe that in Guyana as in all multi-ethnic societies, the achievement of a common ethnic culture is the panacea for resolving race-ethnic problems. The common ethnic culture argument is absurd. Why? You tell me why people should surrender their individual culture to take on another cultural make-up, when it's unnecessary. Where one group's culture dominates a subordinate group's culture to the point of eliminating the minority cultures, we have a case of assimilation. Assimilation is a situation where a minority group, by force or voluntarily, divests itself of its own cultural make-up to take on the culture of a dominant group.

Theoretically, in the Guyana situation, assimilation would involve East Indian people stripping themselves of their 'Indianness' to take on 'Africanness' or some other 'cultureness', if the dominant group is African or some other group, and vice versa. The U.S. with a multiplicity of cultures, and it has a lot more than six, does not have a common ethnic culture. People who are naturalized American citizens or Green Card holders in the U.S. generally comply with the civic requirements of the system, and still sustain their own cultural heritage and contribute to nation building of that society.

We must appreciate other people's culture, and understand that we already have cultural coexistence among Amerindians, East Indians, Portuguese, Chinese, Africans, and Mixed. It is futile to bridge cultures, for cultures cannot be bridged. Would any ethnic group want to concede slices of its culture to a dominant group, where all these slices would together constitute an absurd 'common Guyanese ethnic culture'? These slices would not be given, and they are not necessary because this ill-conceived 'common Guyanese ethnic culture' presupposes a condition of forced assimilation on minority groups by any dominant group. Cultures in Guyana do not have to be fragmented or diluted; these cultures have to coexist. Children have to learn the core of cultural coexistence.

Common civic culture
Given the confusion about a national culture, we, therefore, must distinguish between ethnic culture and civic culture. An ethnic culture refers to shared distinctive cultural traits as language, religion, family customs, food preferences, etc., within a group. What we need is a universally-shared civic culture that comes from the common civil code of the Constitution, the Judiciary, Parliament, and other similar-type instruments. We do not need a common ethnic culture where some groups lose their cultures. The civic culture could become the common Guyanese culture.

The common civic culture will have a familiarity with and acceptance of ethnic cultural differences. In so doing, it can champion equal rights and life chances for every Guyanese. Tageri, writing on the nation versus the constitution, believes that we need to have a "...culture which is to be shared equally by all citizens independent of their respective religious or cultural identity. But this...culture should remain neutral and separated from all particularist cultures and collective identities...The state and its legal order, however, must maintain neutrality vis-à-vis these sub-cultures." Neutrality is achieved through separating the dominant ethnic culture from the civic culture. Once this occurs, the civic culture becomes the national culture. In this way, no group loses its ethnicity. This cultural transformation means that Guyanese will have to learn both civic and ethnic cultures. The ERC has a pivotal role to play in this impending cultural transfiguration.

Lessons from the Rwandan Genocide
By Robert Persaud
THIS is Easter and you are wondering why I am writing on a morbid subject: the genocide against the 800,000 Tutsis by the Hutu majority tribe in the Central African state of Rwanda. There are two simple reasons: last Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of the genocide and the widespread international media attention would provide the necessary backdrop and Easter presents an occasion for deep reflections, especially on the Passion of Jesus Christ and the sacrifices he made for all humanity to live in peace and brotherhood.

POWER STRUGGLE BACKDROP
Rwanda has two main tribes - Hutus and Tutsis, the latter which make up only 9% of the population. Ten years ago, the world watched in awe and did next to nothing as 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered with machetes by the Hutu majority. The international media, the United Nations and other bodies did hardly anything. A Canadian General working in Rwanda at the time termed the world's inaction as "criminal negligence."

Why was the massacre carried out? There are both historical and power-seeking reasons. The Tutsis were favoured as the ruling elite by the former Belgian colonial masters. This ended the year before Independence when the Hutu majority party won office. Before the Belgians departed in 1962, they established quotas: Tutsis who were only 9% of the population only got accesses to 9% of schools, salaried jobs, etc. The ensuing years saw the Tutsis minority being "ferociously discriminated" by the Hutu majority government. In the meantime, the Tutsis organised a Ugandan-based rebel army led by Paul Kagame, the current President. The Hutu government felt threatened. As The Economist describes: "Threatened by a mostly Tutsi army, some within the regime decided that the only way to hang on to power was to exterminate all Tutsis. Despite a peace accord in 1993, they (Hutu-controlled government) recruited and indoctrinated thousands of militiamen and imported enough machetes to give one to every third adult Hutu male. A pretext was found on April 6, 1994 when (the then President of Rwanda Juvenal) Habyarimana's aeroplane was shot down by unknown assassins." The next 90 days "of unspeakable terror that killed more than 500,000 Rwandan children, women and men beginning on 7 April 1994 stands as stark evidence of the depths to which human behaviour, unchecked by law, can descend," according to UNICEF.

MEDIA'S ROLE IN THE GENOCIDE
After the massacre, the United Nations Tribunal on the genocide was convened in Arusha, Tanzania. Revealing was the role of certain media entities in preparing for and fueling the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and those Hutus who spoke out against the carnage. In the months leading up to the genocide, certain journalists used both the electronic and print media to incite Hutus against the Tutsis. According to an Associated Press (AP) report: "A UN Tribunal convicted and sentenced a radio news director and a newspaper editor to life imprisonment for their role in promoting the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the first trial of media workers by an international court in more than 50 years." The story went on to add: "The convictions by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda were the first for broadcasters and publications promoting crimes against humanity since the Nuremberg trials of Nazi propagandists following World War II."

The three condemned media workers are Ferdinand Nahimana, founding director of a radio station, RTLM and director of Rwandan National Information Office; Jean Bosco Barayagwiza, an executive at RTLM radio; and Hassan Ngeze, former editor-in-chief of Kangura newspaper. The panel ruled that Nahimana was "fully aware of the power of his vitriolic broadcasts." According to one of the judges in handing down the sentence against Nahimana: "You may have been motivated by your sense of patriotism and the need you perceived for equity for the Hutu population, but instead of following legitimate avenues of recourse, you chose a path of genocide. In doing so, you betrayed the trust placed in you as an intellectual leader. Without a firearm, machete or any physical weapon you caused the death of thousands of innocent civilians."

Regarding Ngeze, the Tribunal was presented with excerpts of articles he wrote. "Let whatever is smouldering erupt", Ngeze wrote before the genocide. "It will be necessary then that the masses and their army protect themselves. At such time, blood will be poured. At such time, a lot of blood will be poured." The Judge in his ruling told the journalist that "instead of using media to promote human rights you used it to attack and destroy human rights." The Economist in its special edition to mark the 10th anniversary recalled: "A popular radio station (referring to RTLM) howled for blood."

HAWKS MUST TAKE NOTE
The shock and awe on the psyche of humanity caused by the genocide and more particularly the murderous role of sections of the media have generated much debate and soul searching. The world community is still reeling from its shame caused by just watching the massacre take place. Media organizations and watch groups and various UN bodies are using the Rwanda media contribution to the genocide as an example of how not to use the media. Criticisms of the media and calls for a higher degree of ethics and professionalism must be seen as preventative steps against the descent of the media anywhere, including preventing Guyana from going down that path. Certain television talk show hosts have been committing violations of ethics and attacking our national sense of unity that would evoke a stern look from the Arusha Tribunal Panel.

Guyanese have generally, demonstrated maturity and resisted all forms of instigation and provocation by divisive elements and unscrupulous political leaders. Our people's commitment to unity and non-violent means of resolving disputes is legend. We must not let our guards down as the agents (extremist lunatic fringe) of communal violence and strife are lurking even on some media outlets. We have the horrific lessons of Rwanda to ensure that we do not commit those mistakes in any size, shape or form. Those who use the media to instigate divisions and preach hatred must take note of the possible consequences of their action. There were no winners in Rwanda. Nor can they even be any winners in any such violent conflict. The hawks of division, wherever they exist in our midst, must be the object of attention of the Ethnic Relations Commission and all peace-loving Guyanese and forces. In remembering the victims of the Rwandan genocide, we must ensure that we forever stay clear of those horrors and destruction. And the media have a critical role to play in this national task.

R.C. Potter - Steady, sound, serious
I WILL always remember R.C.G. Potter. He was steady, sound and serious.

He told the class one day about alliteration. Like other areas of the English Language one can use expressions to bring out the beauty of our language and more, words properly put together can be made to form a picture in the mind of the reader.

Rife, repeated, reported and resultant put together, relate to the situation now existing in West Indies Cricket.

For many years we the people of the Caribbean have been subjected to stories about what was reported to be happening in West Indies Cricket.

Rife with repeated indiscipline - the resultant should surprise no one.

I saw the corrugated pitch in Jamaica. How could anyone escape sanction for that, Heaven knows.

I heard that someone had his finger sliced - no public knowledge.

I heard of a player cursing a manager - "awright awright". Let's not worry with that now.

I heard of a leading player (Captain) missing a practice because he was sick (reportedly) but was in the company of three ladies at a pizza shop.

I have heard of deals. "You take Chairmanship. We knock Hooper and you agree to Lara and we will give you Sarwan." Stop, think!!

"But he runs a betting shop - so he cannot be Chairman - wait until the right moment and whoops!"

"I love Dillon" "Dilly come boy I need you with me."

This man is not cooperative let us duck him!

How much longer will we endure this nonsense!!!??

Let us have an enquiry so that those in power would know that they too can be subject to investigation. Shall we??
Horace Lewis

I'm disgusted by Iranian brother's kidnapping
IT IS with great concern and utter disgust I read about the raiding, arresting and interrogating of the Administrators and Staff members of the ISA ISLAMIC SCHOOL for supposedly the kidnapped Iranian Brother, Ibrahimi.

Being the parent of three children who attend this school and also the Secretary of the Parent Teacher Student Association (P.T.S.A), I would outrightly like to condemn this raid, as all would know that the Secondary School Entrance Examination (Common Entrance) was held on that same day. The Guyana Police Force, being a "professional" organization and acting on "intelligence" they received, should have taken into consideration that raiding the building at 10:00 hrs when this exam was supposed to be in progress would have disrupted the smooth running of the exams, not to mention the stress and trauma these students would have been faced with, thus affecting the outcome of their results. Fortunately, as I later found out the exams were not held at the ISA School but at another location.

As a parent who traverses this school almost on a daily basis, I would categorically like to state that this whole situation was unwarranted and uncalled for. The G.P.F should have exercised better judgment and diplomacy in handling this issue. The G.P.F should investigate where they got their intelligence from, as to insinuate that a kidnap victim be held in this institution reeks of mischief. This school is relatively new and has more than 450 students, 35 teachers, the administrators and the auxiliary staff, with Muslims from all the different organizations, including non-Muslims, and to think that any clandestine activities of this nature taking place there is beyond comprehension.

I am pleased to state that I am very proud of the achievements of this school in molding my children to be proper Muslims and outstanding members of society. I have had dialogue with teachers from time to time and they are always receptive to ideas and suggestions that one may have. As the secretary of the P.T.S.A, I can state firmly that the school strives towards its motto, "KNOWLEDGE, FAITH and MORALITY", and that the administration has from time to time accepted recommendations from the P.T.S.A executives and members to make this school a model one, God's willing.

I can categorically state that I have never seen or heard of any instances of the Administration of the ISA School being involved in any form of extremist, terrorist or criminal activities to warrant an attack of this nature. One would hope that the G.P.F would give an explanation as to their timing of this raid and on the 'intelligence' they received that warranted it.

We the members of the Executive of the Parent Teacher Student Association of the ISA School pray for the safe return of Br. Ibrahimi to his wife, family and friends.
Sincerely,
Saudia Ferouz.

Running from the race-crime issue is not an argument
MR. Jerome Khan's response (SN 4/8/2004) to my letter that stripped his opinion (no link between racism and crime in Guyana) is even more horrible than his original letter. Was that it? He ignored conveniently what I stated; the examples of race-crimes to support my claim (unlike him), as well as examples of rhetoric from certain public figures that encourage anti-Indian violence, and now he wants more "facts." He wants to weigh fact vs. fiction, myth vs. reality, truth vs. propaganda and political positions vs. public opinion.

Well, Mr. Khan has in no way demonstrated that he can handle more facts. But if he insists, here is one fact: many believe that the WPA was responsible for the assassination of Dr. Rodney, but because none could provide "facts," the PNC regime could not prosecute anyone. Here is another: water is being diverted from Buxton to Annandale according to the PPP; but Mr. Hoyte, the late PNC leader, denied it. How about these? Please, let us not waste time. Mr. Khan knows well that were I to supply names of crime victims, this letter would run for pages.

To add insult to dismay, Mr. Khan, correct to recluse himself from this debate for not having any concise argument to combat my letter, chose to denounce me in typical GT political style, as being a race monger, simply because I dare to challenge his view. I suspected that this may occur and while I tried to safeguard myself from being accused of being another Indian looking to stir up confusion (et cetera et cetera), it is obvious that young civilians like myself cannot express our views, regardless of right or wrong, in the public without being flogged by our politicians for being a threat to this country (i.e., wanting to cause racial strive).

Name-calling is neither an argument nor a position from which the crime-race debate could be improved for public benefits. It is only a trademark of an unskilled debater and a sign of political immaturity. Mr. Khan needs to stick to the issue.

While I am fortunate that I have not been burned at the stake, I would not be surprised if I am next accused of being a PPP spy. And there is Stabroek News, obviously touching a nerve at Congress Place as reflected by the many PNC voices accusing it for an editorial that told it like it is.

I believe it was the author of "1984" who said that those "who control the past control the future; those who control the future control the past." From this, one may conclude that one who controls the present also controls the future. So, all this name-calling and scampering off aside, the profit of this debate, if our politicians will continue to tiptoe around it, fingers on lips, is to know that when posterity knocks on our doors, my letter shall be there for all to read. As I said before, the crime debate will be shaped by all of us. If one has nothing original or substantial to say, one should avoid clichéd positions. Running from the race-crime issue is not an argument.
Regards,
Rakesh Rampertab

Resources of the State must be better used
I HOPE that the parliamentarians, in their criticisms of the 2004 Budget, will remember that the Budget has made provisions to increase the emoluments of MPs who are members of Parliamentary Sectional Committees. A new allowance has been put in place also for MPs of geographic constituencies.

Remuneration of the members of state commissions has also been increased.

These increases are welcome in that the institutions of the State must function well in order to ensure that general policies are executed to their full capacity.

As we continue to increase spending in important areas as health, education and wages and salaries etc., it is also important to use the resources of the State for better governance as well.
Yours truly,
S. Deodat

Lara stuns England with second Test triple century
By Simon Cambers
ST JOHN'S, Antigua, (Reuters) - West Indies captain Brian Lara became only the second man to score two triple Test centuries yesterday, smashing 313 not out to destroy England's chances of a series whitewash in the fourth and final Test.

Almost exactly 10 years after he set a then-world record of 375 against England on the same ground, Lara produced a scintillating innings as West Indies plundered 595 for five at the close of the second day.

Lara, who resumed the day on 86, hit 34 fours and three sixes, passing his 300 shortly before the close and prompting a standing ovation from the packed St John's crowd.

He is 68 short of beating Matthew Hayden's record score, set against Zimbabwe last October. Lara joins Australia's Don Bradman as the only man to achieve the feat on more than one occasion.

Ridley Jacobs was unbeaten on 47 at the close and Ramnaresh Sarwan hit 90.

From the moment he smashed Matthew Hoggard for four from the first ball, Lara was determined to wipe away memories of the first three Tests, all won comprehensively by England.

Having made just 100 runs in six innings, Lara reminded everyone of his talent with superb stroke play and immense concentration.

On the odd occasion he did play and miss, Lara set the record straight with another boundary soon afterwards and England's bowlers, including Gareth Batty who went for two towering sixes, were made to toil with little reward.

Lara reached his hundred from 131 balls with a cut for two through the covers. One of only two real scares of the day came when, on 127, he attempted a second run to Matthew Haggard at third man.

Although the throw was a direct hit, Lara just made his ground.

At the other end, Sarwan passed 50 for the 20th time in Tests but he fell 10 runs short of his century, edging Harmison to Marcus Trescothick at slip to end a partnership worth 232.

Ricardo Powell, who replaced Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the side, made 23 and Ryan Hinds chipped in with 36 as Lara passed his 200 with a six, four and a single in consecutive balls from Gareth Batty.

That took him alongside Englishman Wally Hammond in second place in the all-time list of double century makers with seven, behind Australia's Don Bradman, who tops the list with 12.

As the day wore on, Lara began to look a little tired but he found a second wind to pass the 250 mark with a flashing drive over cover for his 27th boundary.

Batty almost caught Lara off his own bowling when on 293, but the ball went through his hands for four. The West Indies captain reached his 300 with a quick single off Batty.

WEST INDIES first innings (overnight 208-2)

C.Gayle c and b Batty 69

D.Ganga lbw b Flintoff 10

B.Lara 313

R.Sarwan c Trescothick b Harmison 90

R.Powell c Hussain b S.Jones 23

R.Hinds c and b Batty 36

R.Jacobs 47

Extras (lb-2, w-2, nb-3) 7

Total 595

Fall of wickets: 1-33 2-98 3-330 4-380 5-469

To bat: T.Best, C.Collymore, P.Collins, F.Edwards.

Bowling (to date): Hoggard 18-2-82-0 (nb-2), Harmison 30-5-79-1 (w-2), Flintoff 28-7-92-1, S.Jones 23-0-113-1, Batty 36-3-141-2, Vaughan 7-0-33-0 (1nb), Trescothick 15-2-53-0

England: M.Vaughan (captain), M.Trescothick, M.Butcher, N.Hussain, G.Thorpe, A.Flintoff, G.Jones, G.Batty, S.Jones, S.Harmison, M.Hoggard.

Lara targets Hayden's world record 380
By Simon Cambers
ST JOHN'S, Antigua, (Reuters) - West Indies captain Brian Lara will look to break Australian Matthew Hayden's world record Test score of 380 when he resumes on 313 not out on day three of the fourth and final Test against England today.

Almost exactly 10 years after he hit a then-world record 375 against England on the same ground, Lara smashed 34 fours and three sixes to become only the second man to score two test triple centuries.

His innings helped West Indies end the second day on 595 for five, destroying England's chances of a series whitewash.

``It (the world record) will be in my mind and it's there for the taking,'' Lara told reporters on Sunday. ``I want to bat until lunch and if it's there I'll go for it.

``I think I mentioned before the series started that I wanted to become the first man to make 400 in a Test, and so we're looking to pile on the runs tomorrow.

``We want in excess of 700 runs and if the record comes then so be it.''

BRADMAN FEAT
Trailing 3-0 in the series, Lara was keen to play down the importance of the record but said joining Australia's Don Bradman as the only players to make two test triple centuries was a major achievement.

``I think the accolades and achievements will all fall into place at the right time,'' Lara said, adding his team's poor performances in the first three Tests had diminished the joy he felt at passing 300 for the second time.

``The standing of the series has dampened the occasion,'' Lara said. ``Ten years ago we were ahead in the series, I want the best for the West Indies and that means getting us back on top.''

Opener Hayden broke the record six months ago against Zimbabwe in Perth, while a measly return of 100 runs in the first three Tests against England left many pundits questioning Lara's future as captain and his long-term plans in the game.

``The effect that (Hayden's record) had on me was not one of disappointment,'' Lara said. ``I thought it would be a catalyst for me to go on and make a name for myself.''

In 1994, Lara was 320 not out overnight before he returned to pass fellow West Indian Gary Sobers's Test record of 365.

On that occasion, he rose early to play golf with Sobers. Not this time.

``I was 24 then. I am tired now,'' he said.

Ashton Taylor Memorial football kicks off this weekend
THE Ashton Taylor Memorial Under-19 Inter-association football championship kicks off this weekend with two matches at different venues.

Teams are placed in two groups. In Group A are Essequibo, West Demerara, Upper Demerara and Bartica, while Group B has Georgetown, East Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara and Berbice.

Georgetown and East Coast Demerara clash in the opening game at the GFC ground, Bourda, on Saturday from 16:00 hrs.

Then on Sunday, Essequibo host West Demerara at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) ground at Onderneeming from 14:00 hrs.

The competition continues on Friday, April 23 at Thirst Park where East Bank Demerara meet Georgetown under floodlights from 20:00 hrs.

Two matches are fixed for the following day, with Berbice hosting East Bank Demerara at the Blairmont Community Centre ground from 16:00 hrs, while Upper Demerara travel to NOC ground to take on Essequibo from 16:00 hrs.

That weekend fixtures will be completed on Sunday as West Demerara and Upper Demerara clash at the Uitvlugt Community Centre ground from 15:00 hrs.

Three matches are slated for Saturday, May 1 - Upper Demerara face Bartica at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, East Bank meet East Coast at Thirst Park and Berbice host Georgetown at Blairmont, all matches starting at 16:00 hrs.

The following day, West Demerara come up against Bartica at Uitvlugt ground from 14:00 hrs.

Preliminary round play will be completed with two matches on Saturday, May 8, with Bartica tackling Essequibo at the Bartica Community Centre ground and East Coast hosting Berbice at the Beterverwagting Community Centre ground.

The 14:00 hrs start for some games, is to allow the teams to travel back home in good time, while the Bartica and Upper Demerara have back to back games to prevent teams from traveling twice, thus minimising transport cost.

Highest individual Test scores
ST JOHN'S, Antigua, (Reuters) - List of Test cricket's highest individual scores after Brian Lara scored 313 not out on the second day of the fourth Test v England yesterday (+ denotes not out):

380 Matthew Hayden (Australia) v Zimbabwe, Perth, 2003

375 Brian Lara (West Indies) v England, St John's, 1994

365+ Garfield Sobers (West Indies) v Pakistan, Kingston, 1958

364 Len Hutton (England) v Australia, The Oval, 1938

340 Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) v India, Colombo, 1997

337 Hanif Mohammad (Pakistan) v West Indies, Bridgetown, 1958

336+ Wally Hammond (England) v New Zealand, Auckland, 1933

334+ Mark Taylor (Australia) v Pakistan, Peshawar, 1998

334 Don Bradman (Australia) v England, Leeds, 1930

333 Graham Gooch (England) v India, Lord's, 1990

329 Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) v New Zealand, 2002

325 Andy Sandham (England) v West Indies, Kingston, 1930

313+ Brian Lara (West Indies) v England, St John's 2004

311 Bobby Simpson (Australia) v England, Manchester, 1964

310+ John Edrich (England) v New Zealand, Leeds, 1965

309 Virender Sehwag (India) v Pakistan, Multan, 2004

307 Bob Cowper (Australia) v England, Melbourne, 1966

304 Don Bradman (Australia) v England, Leeds, 1934

302 Lawrence Rowe (West Indies) v England, Bridgetown, 1974

Suriname dominate Goodwill series opening night
By Leeron Brumell
THE Suriname male and female teams silenced the Guyanese players and fans, Saturday night, in game one of the Goodwill series at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).

The male team in the feature game defeated Guyana 73-60, while the females trounced their Guyanese 75-41 points.

The females set the scene for what became an all out Surinamese invasion and domination on the court in front of a sparse crowd. They quickly established the lead and never looked back - within 20 minutes of play, they led, 35-19.

Suriname, bigger and taller than the Guyanese, were better tactically and technically, and were more a cohesive unit, rarely fumbling and conceding turnovers, unlike the hosts. They effected steals and had creative passes which made the game look far too advanced for the Guyanese who were unable to keep up.

Suriname scored at regular intervals, while at one time the Guyanese were averaging three plus minutes before adding any points to their tally.

Guyana females played selfish ball, everyone trying in desperation to close the unassailable point gap.

At the end of regulation time Suriname were up 75-41, a 34-point whipping.

Caroline Andriaonsz and Farida Zebeda both posted 17 points, while Meredith Hawker 15 and Ellen MacIntosh gave valuable support with 12.

The only Guyanese to reach double figures was Nicola Jacobs with 17.

In the feature game, the Guyanese males, who were expected to avenge the loss, didn’t fear any better, losing by 13 points.

Guyana opened with a quick two-point shot from Jermaine Warde while the Surinamese took some two minutes before registering a point and they did so in fine style with a three-point shot, soon followed by another to give them a quick four-point lead upon which they strengthened their foundation.

Suriname, boasting a number of tall players, then continued to work the floor, dribbling past the locals and getting inside the defense to take some easy scoring opportunities.

At the end of the first quarter the visitors led, 21-16, then 43-34 at the half way mark.

It was now clear that the Guyanese boys would have to work extra hard for victory with the visitors not letting up.

Guyana seemed a team of mediocre players, many of them unfamiliar faces to the crowd, with well-known players like Stephon Gillis, Kester Gomes, Steve Neils Jr. (undoubtedly one of the most talented players in the country) and Jomo Agustine, among others on a long list, noticeably absent.

The Guyanese players looked tired, hardly looking the competitive players many are accustomed to seeing in club tournaments. There was no coordination, shooting was off, dribbling a minimum, passes not of the best and defense terrible.

Suriname played as a unit with good ball control, once in possession, and four out of five times they scored.

At regulation time, Suriname led 73-60 with Winston Bosu and Bruce Samuels on 19 points each and Harold Blokland eleven. For the hosts, Andrew Ifill had 17 and Jermaine Warde 11.

The series organised by the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) was due to end last evening with the same teams meeting in game two.

Edinburgh upset Young Warriors to reach quarter- finals
The 2004 Berbice National Bank of Industry and Commerce Under-15 50-over cricket competition continued recently with Edinburgh creating a big upset when they beat Young Warriors in their zone B encounter, effectively knocking them out.

With the victory, Edinburgh ended as runners-up to Tucber Park in that zone, earning them the right to advance to the quarter- finals of the competition.

For this momentous victory, Edinburgh firstly have to thank their bowlers, left- arm spinner Dilchand Bhagwandin with 4 for 33 and medium- pacer Dennis Henry with 3 for 25 for restricting Warriors to a getable 165 and then Yudranauth Seepersaud who scored a match winning 68 which included 8 fours and one six to steer them to a three-wicket victory.

Ganesh Ghingorla’s 60 for Blairmont Jaguars could not save his team from going down to Novar by two wickets.

In scores from the matches played
1. At Edinburgh: Edinburgh beat Young Warriors by three wickets,

Young Warriors 165 in 42.4 overs (M. Sanichar 34, A. Singh 24, D. Matheson 23, D. Bhagwandin 4 for 33, D. Henry 3 for 25)

Edinburgh 166 for 7 in 31.5 overs (Y. Seepersaud 68, D. Bhagwandin 25, F. Hussain 2 for 38, A. Singh 2 for 41, J. Seepaul 2 for 49)

2. At Novar: Novar beat Blairmont Jaguars by two wickets.

Blairmont Jaguars 132 in 25 overs (G. Ghingoral 60, L. Lakeram 4 for 25, J. Madray 3 for 19, R. Ramdeo 2 for 10).

Novar 133 for 8 in 24.2 overs (J. Madray 26, A. Knox 21, S. Rollin 2 for 30, G. Ghingoral 2 for 10)

Bolt’s world record highlights Jamaica's awesome CARIFTA show
..Guyana’s Cleveland Forde cops 5,000 metres gold
HAMILTON, Bermuda, (CMC) - Usain Bolt smashed the world junior record for 200 metres and led Jamaica to another awesome domination of the CARIFTA Games that ended last night at the National Sports Centre.

Bolt won the Under-20 200 metres in new world junior mark and 2004 world best 19.93 seconds as Jamaica collected a record 79 medals -- 37 gold, 23 silver and 19 bronze -- to top the CARIFTA medal table for a remarkable 20th consecutive year.

“That was my main goal for the year to go under 20-point run and I’ve got it early,” Bolt said after his win.

“So I think I have to get a next goal which is to break the national record (19.86 by Donald Quarrie), so I’ll be working on that for the Olympics,” he added.

Barbados had their best placing in seven years when they collected five gold, two silver and four bronze medals for second spot, followed by Trinidad and Tobago (4-7-11), hosts Bermuda (4-2-3), and Bahamas

(3-7-11), with sixth going to Grenada (3-4-4).

The phenomenal Bolt, only 17 years-old, significantly lowered the previous world mark of 20.13 seconds he shared with American Roy Martin with a stunning effort.

He was unchallenged in victory and appeared to be running easily as he approached the finish, clear of 100-metre champion Daniel Bailey (21.07) of Antigua and Barbuda, and Jamaican Nestor Carter (21.10).

Bolt’s effort surpassed American Justin Gatlin (20.13) as the world leader, and is the first sub-20 second clocking over the distance by any athlete -- including seniors -- in almost two years.

“I’ve been working hard and I guess it paid off,” Bolt said.

His teammate Nickeisha Anderson (23.41)) took the Girls’ equivalent, while Schilloni Calvert (24.18) in the Girls’ Under-17s gave the Jamaicans another 200-metre triumph.

Barbadian Dario Alleyne completed a fine meet by taking the Boys’ Under-17 200 in 21.79 seconds to add to his gold in the 400 metres. Alleyne had lost the 100-metre gold to Ramalo Turner in a photo finish on Friday.

Guyana’s Cleveland Forde was never threatened as he raced to a third consecutive Boys’ Open 5,000 metre title.

He won in 15 minutes 39.89 seconds, defeating Jamaican Andre Drummond (16:10.31).

In the 800-metre races, Trinidad and Tobago’s Simeon Bovell authoritatively regained the Boys Under-20 title he lost last year, by winning in 1:52.78, ahead of the Jamaican pair of Davian Parker (1:55.57) and Clayton James(1:56.37).

Jamaica’s Kayan Thompson (2:08.38) won the Girls equivalent, while Jamaican Thean O’Connor upset defending champion Jamal James (T&T) to win the Boys junior title in 1:55.66, and Jamaican Vanessa Boyd (2:21.66) landed the Girls Under-17 event.

Barbadian Jesse King prevented a Jamaican sweep of the sprint hurdles when he ran 14.68 seconds to win the Boys Under-20 110-metre hurdles, 0.01 seconds ahead of Jamaica’s Patrick Lee.

Latoya Greaves (13.77) won the Girls’ 100-metre hurdles, and her Jamaican teammates Natasha Ruddock (14.35) and Akeem Smith (13.60) took the junior sprint hurdles.

Jamaica won three of the four 1600-metre relays, their only defeat coming in the Boys’ Under-17 event to Trinidad and Tobago, who won in 3:24.07.

Highlights in the field events were Grenada’s Nathalia Vincent retaining the Girls Under-20 javelin title at 45.56 metres, and Ayata Joseph, of Antigua and Barbuda, repeating as Boys Under-20 triple jump champion at 15.78 metres.

Home girl Zindzi Swan won the Girls Under-20 high jump at 1.79 metres, denying Trinidadian Rhonda Watkins (1.76) the long jump high jump double.

DAY THREE RESULTS - EVENING SESSION

Girls Javelin Under- 20

1.Nathalia Vincent (Grn) 45.56

2.Sabina Christmas (Dom) 43.42

3.Shaneka Parker (Jam) 42.07

Girls Triple Jump Under 17

1.Kimberly Williams (Jam) 12.53

2.Kimona Smith (Jam) 12.22

3.Lyvie-Paola Laurent (Gua) 12.20

Girls 800m Under- 17

1.Vanessa Boyd (Jam) 2:21.66

2.Deanne Lightbourn (Mar) 2:22.04

3.Doraine Samuels (Ber) 2:22.98

Boys 800m Under- 17

1.Thean O’Connor (Jam) 1:55.66

2.Jamal James (T&T) 1:55.76

3.Bengallo Morrison (Jam) 1:59.54

Girls 800m Under- 20

1.Kayann Thompson (Jam) 2:08.38

2.Vanessa Whittle (Jam) 2:09.05

3.Sanny Eugene (USVI) 2:18.87

Boys 800m Under- 20

1.Simeon Bovell (T&T) 1:52.78

2.Davian Parker (Jam) 1:55.57

3.Clayton James (Jam) 1:56.37

Girls 100m hurdles Under- 17

1.Natasha Ruddock (Jam) 14.35

2.Kimberly Laing (Jam) 14.76

3.Kimberley Stanford (Bar) 15.00

Girls 100m hurdles Under- 20

1.Latoya Greaves (Jam) 13.77

2.Keisha Brown (Jam) 13.84

3.Axelle Francois-Haugr (Mar) 14.39

Boys 100m Hurdles Under- 17

1.Akeem Smith (Jam) 13.60

2.Ronnie Griffith (Bar) 13.83

3.Johan Mautil (Mar) 13.95

Boys 110m Hurdles Under- 20

1.Jesse King (Bar) 14.68

2.Patrick Lee (Jam) 14.69

3.Adonis Jones (T&T) 15.15

Girls 200m Under- 17

1.Schilloni Calvert (Jam) 24.18

2.Kimberly Smith (Jam) 24.62

3.T’Shonda Webb (Bah) 24.64

Boys 200m Under 17

1.Dario Alleyne (Bar) 21.79

2.Dax Danns (Guy) 21.94

3.Winston Barnes (Jam) 22.02

Girls 200m Under- 20

1.Nickeisha Anderson (Jam) 23.41

2.Wanda Huston (T&T) 23.77

3.Kelly-Ann Baptiste (T&T) 23.86

Boys 200m Under- 20

1.Usain Bolt (Jam) 19.93 (WJR)

2.Daniel Bailey (Ant) 21.07

3.Nestar Carter (Jam) 21.10

Girls High Jump Under 20

1.Zindzi Swan (Ber) 1.79

2.Rhonda Watkins (T&T) 1.76

3.Anna-Kay Campbell (Jam) 1.73

Boys 5000m Under- 20

1.Cleveland Forde (Guy) 15:39.89

2.Andre Drummond (Jam) 16:10.31

3.Neilon Joseph (Grn) 16:39.69

Girls Javelin Under- 17

1.Kyann Maynard (Bar) 40.51

2.Kemisha Throughsingh (Jam) 38.18

3.Amanda Edwards (Ant) 36.10

Boys Triple Jump Under- 20

1.Ayata Joseph (Ant) 15.78

2.Wilbert Walker (Jam) 15.69

3.Carlos Mattis (Jam) 15.30

Girls 4x400m Under- 17

1.Jamaica 3:48.32

2.Bahamas 3:55.13

3.Bermuda 4:00.45

Boys 4x400m Under- 17

1.T&T 3:24.07

2.Bahamas 3:25.21

3.Jamaica 3:25.21

Girls 4x400m Under- 20

1.Jamaica 3:40.12

2.Bahamas 3:52.47

Boys 4x400m Under- 20

1.Jamaica 3:12.00

2.T&T 3:12.65

3.Bahamas 3:16.37

FINAL MEDALS

TEAM GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL

Jamaica 37 23 19 79

Barbados 5 2 4 11

Trinidad & Tobago 4 7 11 22

Bermuda 4 2 3 9

Bahamas 3 7 11 21

Grenada 3 4 4 11

Guadeloupe 2 2 3 7

Antigua & Barbuda 2 2 1 5

Guyana 1 3 1 5

St. Lucia 1 1 0 2

Martinique 0 3 3 6

Cayman Islands 0 3 0 3

Dominica 0 2 0 2

Anguilla 0 1 0 1

St. Vincent 0 1 0 1

US Virgin Islands 0 0 2 2

Pakistan senior players feeling the pressure
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, (Reuters) - Pakistan's senior players are feeling the pressure ahead of the deciding third Test against India starting tomorrow.

India won the first match at Multan by an innings and 52 runs but Pakistan hit back at Lahore to win by nine wickets and level the series.

``It's a crucial decider and there will be extra pressure on Inzamam and me,'' vice-captain Yousuf Youhana told Reuters yesterday.

Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, the most experienced Pakistani batsman, had scores of 77, 0 and 118 in the two Tests.

Youhana, who has played 50 Tests for his 3,677 runs and 11 centuries, scored 35, 112 and 72.

``After the retirements of Saeed Anwar and Wasim Akram last year, there has been extra pressure on the two of us in the rebuilding process,'' Youhana said.

``We've handled it. But it's now time for the younger guys to be more responsible and consistent. The other batsmen, especially Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed, need to stand up and be counted.''

Farhat came good in Lahore, slamming 101 for his second test century while Yasir scored 91 in the first test at Multan but the batsmen have lacked consistency.

Youhana brushed aside Pakistan's bowling woes with seamers Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed injured and paceman Mohammad Sami doubtful because of back pain.

``We've got enough bench strength to tide over the problem but the batsmen have to put up runs on the board and give the bowlers something to bowl at,'' he said.

India are playing their first Test series in Pakistan since 1989-90.

Best chance for India to win first overseas series in 10 years
By Kunal Pradhan
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, (Reuters) - India's players head into the deciding third cricket Test against Pakistan tomorrow, knowing it could be the best opportunity to win their first overseas series in 10 years.

The visitors, who won the first Test in Multan by an innings and 52 runs then lost the second in Lahore last week by nine wickets, have not been able to win an overseas series since beating Sri Lanka in 1993-94.

Pakistan, though, are suffering an injury crisis with four players already ruled out, while there are also doubts about the fitness of paceman Mohammad Sami, leaving Shoaib Akhtar as the only front-line fast bowler fully fit for the Rawalpindi match.

Sami, the most consistent Pakistan bowler in the series, has been complaining of back pain since Friday to add to the woes of a team already missing wicketkeeper Moin Khan, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, and seamers Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed.

Moin, Razzaq and Shabbir did not play the second test, where Gul took a career-best five for 31 with his accurate line and length.

Gul was ruled out of the third test on Friday with a back injury and Pakistan have included four young seamers, Fazl-e-Akbar, Abdul Rauf, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Rao Iftikar, in an extended squad to tide over the injuries.

Coach Javed Miandad is confident his back-up bowlers will respond but the pressure will be on hometown hero Shoaib against the strong Indian batting lineup, reinforced with the return from injury of captain Saurav Ganguly.

Shoaib, nicknamed ``Rawalpindi Express'' and regarded as the world's fastest bowler, has been nowhere near his best in the series though he looked to be getting his rhythm back in taking three wickets in the second innings at Lahore.

India were led in the first two Tests by Rahul Dravid with Ganguly recovering from an injury sustained while fielding in last month's deciding fifth one-day international, which India won to clinch the series 3-2.

Ganguly's return will cause a flutter in the batting order with suggestions the aggressive Yuvraj Singh, who scored a brilliant maiden Test century at Lahore, could be promoted to open the innings with the explosive Virender Sehwag.

Another option would be to promote wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel after his unbeaten 62 in the second innings at Lahore ensured India saved the embarrassment of an innings defeat.

India are playing their first full series in Pakistan in over 14 years due to political tensions between the south-Asian neighbours, who have fought three wars since independence from Britain since 1947.

The tour is seen as a symbol of the recent thaw in relations between the countries.

WCDF two-day workshop
THE World Council of Dominoes Federations (WCDF) will hold a two-day workshop in Barbados for the training of referees on April 17 and 18.

The weekend retreat forms part of the preparations for the upcoming (WCDF) championship slated for Barbados at the Sir Garfield Sobers Complex from July 16-27.

Training of referees, the release noted is critical to the smooth running of this year’s championship and participants from throughout the region are expected at the retreat, which will be supervised by the WCDF tournament committee.

Some eight disciplines will be contested at the July tournament in the men’s and ladies’ Three-Hand Competition, King and Queen Competition, Four-Hand team contest along with men’s, ladies’ and mixed pairs competition.

Barbados won the last crown in 2002 when it was held in St. Lucia.

Spinks retains world welterweight titles
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, (CMC) - Undisputed world welterweight champion Cory

Spinks kept his crown with a unanimous decision win over World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior welterweight champion Zab Judah Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort.

Spinks, a target for rising Barbadian welterweight star Christopher “Shaka” Henry, survived a stron