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Appendix 2: Allegations against Sydney King and His Response
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( Appendix ) Allegations against Sydney King and His Response Detention Order against Sydney King (21 November 1953) THE EMERGENCY ORDER, 1953 GROUNDS OF DETENTION 1. Activities prejudicial to public safety, order or defence committed since the suspension of the Constitution on the 8th October, 1953: (a) On the 17th October, 1953, at Enmore Estate you were present and took part in the holding of an illegal meeting of more than five persons, contrary to the Governor’s Directions of the 9th October, 1953, made under the Emergency Order 1953, prohibiting meetings of more than five persons in a public place. (b) On the 24th October, 1953, at Plantation Blairmont,Countyof Berbice, you were present and took part in the holding of an illegal meeting of more than five persons, contrary to the Governor’s Directions of the 9th October, 1953, made under the Emergency Order 1953, prohibiting meetings of more than five persons in a public place. (c) On Sunday the 11th October, 1953, in Plaisance Village you distributed pamphlets entitled “P.P.P. Call to Action” which, after making the untrue and provocative statement that British Guiana had been “invaded by foreign troops” went on to call for an illegal general strike and other conduct, namely non-cooperation and non-fraternisation and boycotting of all goods and supplies coming from the United Kingdom, of a kind which, in the then existing state of the Colony might have been prejudicial to public safety, orderand defence. (d) In October 1953, you assisted Mrs. Janet Jagan (Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party) and Martin Carter and Rory Westmaas (Members of the Party) in the organising of selected members of the Party into a Resistance Movement aimed at (a) inciting dissatisfaction against the lawfully constituted authorities in the Colony; (b) the commission of arson on sugar estates in the Colony. (c) In the month of October 1953, you arranged with members of the People’s Progressive Party to make bombs for use against opponents of that Party. 2. Background and past conduct In addition to the activities set forth under paragraph 1 above, your background and past conduct, as set hereunder, were taken into account in coming to the decision to detain Appendix 2 ( ) you under the powers conferred on the Governor by Section 13 of the Emergency Order 1953: (a) You have identified yourself with extremist politics in the Colony and have been, since the inception of the People’s Progressive Party in 1949, a close associate of Dr. Cheddie Jagan and Mrs. Jagan, who are leading members of that Party. That Party has been active in the dissemination of orthodox Communist propaganda materials obtained from Eastern European and British Communist Party sources, and, as was said in the statement by Her Majesty’s Government read over Radio Demerara on the 9th October, 1953, by the Honourable John Gutch, Chief Secretary, was a Party “completely under the control of a communist clique.” (b) You have shown yourself to be a strong admirer of the Soviet Union and by your actions and words have raised a strong suspicion that you are a convinced Communist. This view is borne out inter alia by the Manifesto handed in by you to the National Printery, Georgetown , in May, 1953, with a view to its publication, and by the fact that you had in your possession at your home at Buxton, on Tuesday, 13th October, 1953, a quantity of Communist propaganda material. (c) You have maintained contacts with world Communist organisations such as the World Federation of Trade Unions and the World Federation of Democratic Youth. (d) You have, since 1949, distributed Communist propaganda material in the Colony. (e) You have been an active member of the British Guiana Peace Committee from its inception in late 1951. That Peace Committee, which is known to be affiliated to the Communist controlled Peace Movement, was started in British Guiana by Dr. Cheddie Jagan when he returned to the Colony from Eastern Europe in September 1951. (f) You have been an active member of the Pioneer Youth League and the Demerara Youth Rally, which are youth sections of the People’s Progressive Party and which are affiliated to the World Federation of Democratic Youth which is a Communist controlled body. (g) Between December 1952 and March 1953, you visited Communist dominated countries in Eastern Europe and attended the Peace Conference in Vienna representing the British Guiana Peace Committee. (h) In March 1953, on your return from Vienna, there were seized...