Evening star., 1962-02-17
British Troops Are Landed
After Bloody Day Of Riots
GUIANA
Continued From Page Al


ferred all plans for British
Guiana for years. Presumably
he meant independence.
The strikers have protested
that II DR.. Jagan gets his de-
mand for swift independence
he will turn British Guiana
into a model Of Fidel Castro's
Cuba.
The uprising was touched off
by DR.. Jagan's austerity pro-
gram and its unpopular COM
pulsory savings plan and freeze
on vacations. But the strikers
have vowed to continue their
walkout until DR.. Jagan quits
altogether.
Opposition to DR.. Jagan
reached climax this week with
a general strike that paralyzed
Georgetown. Yesterday it broke
out into pitched battles IN the
streets. Demonstrators roamed
the streets setting fire to stores
and vehicles, looting and clash
ing again and again with po-
lice.
Rioters Return Fire
Riot squads opened fire on
the rampaging mobs after fail
ing to stop them with tear gas
grenades. The rioters returned
the fire. At least three per-
sons were reported killed and
scores wounded in the early
fighting.
An estimated 80 Of the city's
largest buildings were set ablaze.
Harassed by the rioters and
hindered by inadequate water
supplies, firemen had difficulty
coping with huge fires that
ragged on into the night.
Opposition leaders Forbes
Burnham and Peter d'Aguiar.
defeated by DR.. Jagan in last
September's elections, defied a
government ban on demonstra-
tions and led 10000 strikers in
a march on the parliament
buildings. The mob broke
through police cordons.
Or. Jagan, who was ousted by
the British in 1858 for being
pro-Communist, appealed to
the British for help.
A company of British Hamp-
shire troops flew to British
Guiana from Jamaica and was
rushed into the city to bolster
police battling strikers storm
ing the headquarters OF DR..
Jagan'S leftist Peoples Action
Party.
Police Officials Wounded
In a hail of bullets and tear
gas grenades one demonstration
was reported killed. Two top
police officials, Assistant Com
missioner James Phoenix and
Supt. Derek McLeon, were
wounded. But the police and
troops managed to break the
seige.
In London the Defense Min
istry said today it is sending
a rifle company and field am
bulance unit to reinforce troops
already on duty in George
town.
A spokesman said the REIN
forcements numbering 131 men,
would leave by air within "a
hours.
The spokesman added that
three more Royal Navy frigates
were due at Georgetown today
to join two others already
moored in the port.
The frigate Troubridge and
other British warships steamed
to Georgetown with reinforce
ments. Airborne units were dis
patched from Britain. A huge
cloud of smoke hung over the
flaming city as the first war
ships began sending landing
parties ashore.
In London, the British Co
lonial Office made clear that
the dispatch of British troops
had nothing to do with any
views the government might
have about DR.. Jagan's policies
but were "for the sole purpose
of maintaining law and order"
e. When British troops were
last sent here in 1853 London
feared DR.. Jagan planned a
coup to set up a Communist
hridgehead on this northeast
shoulder of South America.
Came Back Stronger
DR.. Jagan, after being ousted
> from his ministerial post, came
back stronger than ever. He
had able help from his Chi
.cago-born wife, the former
Janet Rosenberg, a leftist and
political firebrand.
In last falls election-Brit-
ish Guiana's first under a new
charter of internal self-govern-
.ment-Dr. Jagan and his PAP
won 20 of the 35 seats in the
new legislative assembly in vot-
ing essentially following racial
lines.
:, The 43-year-old American
educated dentist draws the
bulk of his support from his
fellow East Indians, who make
up half the colony's population.