To be truthful, I didn’t intend to produce a column this Sunday morning, but having come to the office to look for something for Ya Ya, I ran into two headline stories, one following the other on consecutive Fridays, from Amandala no. 301 of Friday, October 31, 1975, and Amandala no. 302 of Friday, November 7, 1975. I think you will enjoy the stories.
DPP THREATENS CREAM
(Friday, October 31, 1975)
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 27–Expatriate Director of Public Prosecutions Isa Peera this morning screamed at Belizean publisher of AMANDALA, Evan X Hyde: “If that is your attitude, you can go to hell.” Hyde then walked out of the press and radio conference being held upstairs of the Treasury building.
During the course of the conference AMANDALA was singled out by Peera for criticism and threats. The foreigner said that several times previously he had been on the point of indicting and ordering the arrest of the publisher of AMANDALA, but he had been informed that nobody believed anything that AMANDALA said anyway. Peera went on to warn Hyde that if he published anything about troop movements or anything in connection with the Guatemala business, he would be doing so at his own risk. Hyde countered that he had been publishing at his own risk for seven years and that he had been to the Supreme Court more than once before. At this point Peera began screaming and Hyde departed.
After the incident, the publisher of AMANDALA is CREAM has stated: “Their problem is that nobody believes anything from the BELIZE TIMES or RADIO BELIZE because of their habit of covering up and distorting the news. The people believe more in AMANDALA. Somebody has been misinforming Peera. But this looks like the beginning of the end for AMANDALA, because it has no political party or organized body to support it. First restrictions in publishing, and then arrest, and finally seizure and closing down of the press. There is little we can do. Both the PUP and UDP are against AMANDALA. They are too strong for us.”
REST EASY, SLEEP WELL, says Posnett
(Friday, November 7, 1975)
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Nov. 6–After a dramatic radio announcement yesterday which vindicated the CREAM, the announcement that Her Majesty’s Government was reinforcing her garrison here with more troops, helicopters, fighter jets, aircraft carriers, etc., Governor Sir Richard Posnett came over Radio Belize to tell the people of Belize to “rest easy and sleep well” because the British were taking care of business.
Is this the same Posnett who told the Rotary Club of Orange Walk on July 22, 1975, “Do they really think that Britain is prepared forever to go on holding the ring?”
We only ask the question. It is for you to find the answer. At AMANDALA, we were threatened just last week with arrest and imprisonment if we continued to write the truth. So you will have to learn to read the truth between the lines.
There was a time when UBAD stood between AMANDALA and the treacherous forces of deceit. But yesterday the word of AMANDALA might have stood against the government. Now lies it there and none so poor to do it reverence.
Yet Premier said they were ambitious, and sure, Price is an honourable man; so are they all, all honourable men.