The report from the Grenadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), was officially set up on the 4 Sept 2001 and released for sale to the public 5 years later, in September 2006.
It was tasked to examine political events that occurred in Grenada from 1 January 1976 to 31 December 1991.
Under the TRC’s main title was written ‘REDEEMING THE PAST: A TIME FOR HEALING.’ Part 4, titled ‘Obstacles to healing and reconciliation’ Section 2, identified ‘The continued absence of the remains of those who were executed on Fort Rupert on 19 October 1983.’
The report highlighted that among the many questions that continue to haunt Grenadians since the 19 October tragedy is what happened to the bodies of Maurice Bishop and the other members of the PRG who were killed at Fort Rupert.
Although the Commission, which was set up by the current Prime Minister, recommended that the relevant authorities, in collaboration with the families of those who were killed, should make serious efforts to ascertain the exact whereabouts of the remains from the moment that they were discovered at Camp Calivigny, there is little evidence that this recommendation was ever acted upon.
The CHRG(UK) has carried out extensive research into the location of the remains and is today launching an on line pamphlet, containing a detailed timeline on what happened to the remains of Maurice Bishop and the others who were executed on the Fort.
It is clear from the research that all 9 bodies were buried at Camp Calivigny, and that the US forces became aware of the location in October 1983. At the time of the discovery, the bodies were whole and recognisable, and 2 of the bodies were identified as the remains of Maurice Bishop and Jackie Creft.
Five of the bodies appear to have been removed by the US forces; it’s not known what happened to them after that, though there is a presumption that they were taken to the US.
The 4 remaining bodies were seemingly removed at a later date, and at this point, they were still whole, but when some remains were subsequently delivered to the University they appear to have been destroyed beyond recognition. Although the US claimed that there was no photographic evidence of the removal of the remains, our pamphlet contains a number of photographs, and they clearly show that the bodies were whole.
We are therefore calling on the Government of Grenada to finally accept the recommendation of its own Truth and Reconciliation Commission and make a serious effort to ascertain the whereabouts of the remains and make every effort to ensure that they are returned to their families.
CHRG, UK
Open letter to the editor of Now Granada
Dear Editor
Re: CHRG (UK) Press Release – Published in Now Grenada 10 June 2021
I am a Grenadian living in the United Kingdom, where I have resided for a number of years. I am writing to you in my personal capacity to express my outrage and deep disappointment regarding your treatment of the above press release. My reasons are as follows: –
In May 2021 members of the Committee for Human Rights in Grenada (CHRG) – UK submitted a well researched document to Now Grenada, based on the work done by Grenada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission of June, 2006, the subsequent study undertaken by the students of the Presentation Boys College and other sources. This document called for the US government to release the bodies of Maurice Bishop and others killed with him on the 19th of October 1983 so as to provide a dignified burial for the remains and bring closure to the families of the deceased.
Now Grenada quite rightly published the document on the 10th of June 2021, see https://nowgrenada.com/2021/06/chrg-uk-press-release/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chrg-uk-press-release. A sole commentator, one Kesri Johnson, responded with a racist diatribe. I replied to this by asking Kesri Johnson, through your publication, what was wrong or inaccurate with the document from CHRG – UK. My comments were uploaded and published on the Now Grenada’s website. However, on checking the website the following day I and found that Johnson’s comments were still up but mine had been deleted.
I have to protest at this treatment, which I believe is designed to prevent discussions that are important to Grenadians and Grenada’s history. In doing so I would like to make a number of points.
Firstly, the authors of the documents that you published, Noreen and Alan Scott, are white members of CHRG – UK, a broad-based, multi-racial, UK equality body. They have both spent over 35 years each working for human rights in Grenada and were instrumental in preventing the unlawful execution of 14 members of the “Grenada 17”. Furthermore, they have been regularly engaged in Grenadian issues over that time.
Therefore for Kesri Johnson to crudely express his racism through the use of the following phrase in his comments,
“…UK Marxist WHITE-wash of what BLACK Grenadians suffered…”,
is unbecoming, racist and not the way Grenadians engage with those they disagree with. Please stop commentators using such language.
Secondly, I have searched the Grenada telephone directory but could not find a Kesri Johnson listed. This is strange, for as a commentator to Now Grenada, it would be expected that they would be on such a database. Maybe the details are ex-directory, although why anonymity should be sought in one sphere but publicity in another is unclear.
After much searching on the Internet the only link I could find was one related to a well-known British racist, Tommy Robinson, see https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/14/tommy-robinson-supporters-gather-for-old-bailey-hearing. Here Kesri Johnson was quoted as supporting the racist Robinson. Is that the same Kesri Johnson?
Thirdly, the bulk of the documents used by the Scott’s were produced by Grenadians. So, in damning them for doing so expresses a deep hatred of the intellect of Grenadians.
Finally, all of the bodies of the defeated leaders of insurrections in Grenada, before and after Fedon were destroyed. The purpose of doing so being to deter the followers and prevent their veneration. The US has done the same to the “uppity” Grenadians who had the temerity to challenge their so-called domination of the Caribbean and South America.
Isn’t it strange that the only public mark in Grenada of this group of heroes is the name given to the international airport. Has the US succeeded in preventing Grenadians from venerating their heroes?
Editor please properly publicise this excellent document, check the identification of your contributors and give credit to the Grenadian scholars, such as the Presentation Boys College students, for their work in revealing the history of the country. It is vitally important that young Grenadians and future generations know of the noble role played by their forebears and those that preceded them.
Yours
Dennot Nyack
Kesri, Kesri , Kesri …
Please don’t lower the tone with expletives. Here is a well reasoned presentation giving facts. What part of this is incorrect?
Yours, another dinosaur.
Giving facts? Thanks for that hearty laugh. Hahaha!
Sorry but this is just another example of Black people being exploited and used as useful idiots, by Marxists as we have recently seen in organisations such as BLM… Burn Loot and Murder….for their own selfish Marxist agenda.
You want truth and reconciliation?…. then talk about all the other people who died because of the Tyranny of Bishop and Coard.
But nope, you Marxist dont care about them, you ignore their deaths and instead we are supposed to care deeply about what happened to the bodies of Bishop et al, the very persons who orchestrated the violence and death to begin.
So the years have gone by and you Psychopathic Marxists are now attemping to Whitewash history and make Heroes out of Tyrants. That might go down well at University in the US and UK but the only reconciliation I am interested in, is in reconciling you crusty old Marxists …. is to the garbage bin of history.
Right now in 2021 Grenada is suffering under the most ridiculous Government Political Covid Tyranny and Power Abuse, where the State have wrecked people businesses and lives and acting like Marxist totalitarians, treat Free people in Grenada like children and Livestock, who should do as they are told.
Where did the State evolve the mentality that instead of listening to the ordinary people and acting as their Public Servants, they now serve a Global Elite.
Politicians act as power drunk Tyrants, endlessly ordering free people around.
For a small Island of approximately 100 thosand people, Grenada have fat too many Power hungry Politicians meddling in people daily life. Its overbearing.
We are Free people, we need autonomy in our own lives where power should be flowing flows from the bottom up and not this top down Tyranny that is drowning people under endless rules and regulations that make basic Liberty impossible.
If you wanted to be relevant today, those are just a few of the relevant issues that actually matter to ordinary people. Not trying to find Bishop body.
Anyhoo, its 2021 but you guys….keep looking for those dead bodies. Yeah… whatever.
What Truth?
What Reconciliation?
Just more UK Marxist WHITE-wash of what BLACK Grenadians suffered under the evil Bishop Coard Tyranny.
Non of them …..CHRG UK… give two shits for the innocent Grenadians killed, they only weep for Bishop and Coard ….two Marxist dogs fighting over a bone.
Ignore these Dinosaur Marxist jokers trying to rewrite history…a history that many of us….still remember.