Rupununi Uprising
Encyclopedia
The Rupununi Uprising was an act of insurrection that occurred in Guyana
beginning on 2 January 1969. The police station in the town of Lethem
, the administrative center of the Rupununi District, was attacked by ranchers, who were armed with bazookas and automatic weapons.
Lethem Police Station was completely wrecked by bazooka shells and policemen were riddled by bullets as they tried to escape. Annai
and Good Hope
stations were seized and the personnel held captive along with other Government officials and civilians in the abbattoir at Lethem.
Five policemen and one civilian were killed, the government dispenser was shot and wounded, and a number of persons, including the District Commissioner and his wife, were herded into the abbattoir and held hostage.The names of the five policemen killed during the uprising are as follows:Inspector #4412 Whittington Braithwaite; Sergeant #4590 James Anderson; Constables #5611, James McKenzie; 5691 William Norton and # 7178 Kendall Michael.
News about the insurrection reached Georgetown by midday that day and policemen and soldiers were flown in to Manari by Guyana Airways. When the government forces moved on Lethem the rebels fled, eventually going across the Brazil
ian border.
Seven of those charged with murder were acquitted: Ignatius Charlie, 23; Anaclito Alicio, 20; Handel Singh, 28; Francis James, 20; Charles Davis, 20; Damian Phillips, 21; Brenton Singh, 43.
The judge ordered that Colin Melville, 22; Aldwyn Singh, 41; and Patrick Melville, 17 be retried for murder, but charges were later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
beginning on 2 January 1969. The police station in the town of Lethem
Lethem, Guyana
Lethem is a town in Guyana, located in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of the South American Country. It is named after Sir Gordon James Lethem, who was the Governor of British Guiana from 1946 to 12 April 1947.-Geography:...
, the administrative center of the Rupununi District, was attacked by ranchers, who were armed with bazookas and automatic weapons.
Lethem Police Station was completely wrecked by bazooka shells and policemen were riddled by bullets as they tried to escape. Annai
Annai
Annai is a small village in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of Guyana. Annai stands at an altitude of 95 metres , at the edge of the Rupununi savannah, where the cattle trail to the Atlantic coast begins. It is nestled in the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains, and is close to the...
and Good Hope
Good Hope
Good Hope is the name of several places worldwide:*Cape of Good Hope, South Africa*Good Hope, Guyana*Good Hope, Dominica*United States:**Good Hope, Alabama**Good Hope, California**Good Hope, Georgia**Good Hope, Illinois**Good Hope, Ohio...
stations were seized and the personnel held captive along with other Government officials and civilians in the abbattoir at Lethem.
Five policemen and one civilian were killed, the government dispenser was shot and wounded, and a number of persons, including the District Commissioner and his wife, were herded into the abbattoir and held hostage.The names of the five policemen killed during the uprising are as follows:Inspector #4412 Whittington Braithwaite; Sergeant #4590 James Anderson; Constables #5611, James McKenzie; 5691 William Norton and # 7178 Kendall Michael.
News about the insurrection reached Georgetown by midday that day and policemen and soldiers were flown in to Manari by Guyana Airways. When the government forces moved on Lethem the rebels fled, eventually going across the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian border.
Seven of those charged with murder were acquitted: Ignatius Charlie, 23; Anaclito Alicio, 20; Handel Singh, 28; Francis James, 20; Charles Davis, 20; Damian Phillips, 21; Brenton Singh, 43.
The judge ordered that Colin Melville, 22; Aldwyn Singh, 41; and Patrick Melville, 17 be retried for murder, but charges were later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
External links
- http://www.stabroeknews.com/news/terror-on-thursday/
- http://www.igougo.com/journal-j6268-Guyana-Guyana_Again.html#ReviewID:1157471