Georgetown Temple staff contacts with Prime Minister Forbes Burnham

Tim Stoen letter to Forbes Burnham, January 20, 1975

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January 20, 1975

Honorable Prime Minister L.F.S. Burnham
Office of the Prime Minister
Public Buildings
Brickdam
Georgetown, Guyana

Honorable Prime Minister Burnham:

In honor of the Tenth Anniversary Celebration of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, may I extend to you my personal congratulations and deep appreciation.

By way of introduction, I am the Assistant District Attorney of Mendocino County who accompanied Pastor Jim Jones on his initial trip to Guyana during Christmas, 1973. I was greatly impressed with what I saw at that time, and my highest expectations about Guyana and the P.N.C. have been confirmed time and time again by the glowing reports that Pastor Jones brings back with each successive trip.

I feel it incumbent upon me to express why our people have needed a home where we will not need to fear racism and the threat of genocide. Although [handwritten addition: Perhaps] it is hard for you to believe the extent to which racism has actually penetrated the root and moral fibre of the people [handwritten addition: “here”]. It is not the government that is causing this, rather a coup from the right that would be responsible for the outrageous acts of racism and moves to violence. I am enclosing several

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articles for your perusal. They are indicative of experiences taking place [handwritten addition: daily] in the lives of black people and [handwritten addition: members of] other racial minorities throughout the United States.

I know Pastor Jones has shown the deepest loyalty to the Guyanese government and its leaders. In fact, all of us have shown total loyalty to the P.N.C. and its high ideals. Each and every one of us is prepared to take a polygraph test on or before coming to Guyana to demonstrate our deep loyalty and commitment. With such wonderful leaders as you, it could be expected that a Guyanese would be more loyal than we to the P.N.C., yet every criticism we encountered stemmed from anti-government people who in fact called us apologists for the government. Their issue was not with the healing service, but rather with the fact that we are gearing our agricultural mission to work in complete co-operation with the government.

[Footnote inserted from three pages later: “We’re sorry that we lent ourselves in any way to be able to be used by agicetors [agitators] against the government, tho from our vantage point, it seems to be just a few critics. The antagonistic Catholic priest, although he first denied it, later admitted on the front page of the Graphic he knew full well and had encouraged us to have a healing service in his facilities.”]

Our healing and all of our worship services in fact are only meant to serve to bring people to the goals [handwritten addition: that] your Co-operative Republic embodies. Pastor Jones brought thousands together for just that purpose at the request of several of our clergy friends of all faiths in Guyana, and they may be right when they say that jealousy of [typed addition: our] success in encouraging greater patriotism and concern for your goals of working the land to feed, clothe and house the nation, was the only reason they attacked us. It was the statement of those churches that teach hell-fire and brimstone that were criticizing [handwritten correction: critical of] us and we have documented [handwritten addition: it [illegible] the statements] that they made were outright subversive. Pastor Jones took no offering. [handwritten correction: He] could have

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gotten the Guyanese to give money to your program, since he, like you, is sincere in his dedication to the P.N.C. goals.

We are proud to be in Guyana, and we would like citizenship if you or your appointed successor should stay in leadership. Or perhaps even dual citizenship would be helpful to the Guyanese government and also in keeping [handwritten addition: an alternative which would also keep] down reactionary forces in the United States. But we would like to know what your pleasure is on the subject. With some of the lack of patriotism we have seen from some Guyanese, we know that we will be loyal, you know that we will defend the [handwritten: your] government to the end, even die defending your administration, [handwritten addition: if an arrangement can be made for us to get dual citizenship]. An attack on you will be considered an attack on us.

We believe your administration is the most intelligent, forthright, and foresighted; and we think it is perfectly wonderful how you are trying to make a bridge in your non-alignment policy—Chinese, East German, United States, and Canada all working together. You are truly the natural leader of the Third World. Your trusted assistant Dr. Reid won us over in our first meeting during which he expressed your high and noble goal. If it had not been for the press, we would have had thousands of Guyanese supporting the government, but even still we have hundreds of people writing and asking how to serve. [handwritten: But we will abide by your wishes—] we will make no more public praise of the government unless you ask us for it.

If you wish us to help in implementing your wonderful programs in beautiful Guyana, we hope the day comes when the press will not have to rely on lies against the government and groups such as ours. It was a shame that the press got away with their attack on us. [Footnote inserted from two pages later: “Pastor Jones would not tell you himself, but I think you should know that he has not let the U.S. press get by uncriticized for attacking Guyana. In fact, he has come out against a negative article that was printed in the New Yorker magazine.”]

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We are sure that when the [handwritten addition: Guyana] press is finally taken over by the co-operative ideals of the P.N.C., you will enjoy the respect and support that is so rightly due to your worthy endeavors.

I can personally vouch for the one hundred percent integrity of and sincerity of purpose of Pastor Jones. I have known and worked closely with him for over eight years. He has served as Foreman of the Grand Jury, as a Director of the Legal Services Foundation providing legal assistance for the poor and underprivileged, as an [handwritten: “sponsor”] active member of the American Civil Liberties Union. While working as both school teacher and principal, he carried on the full-time duties of pastor to the largest protestant church in Northern California. He has shown me the value of a hard-working, co-operative spirit. Had I not personally seen the successful working of co-operation in Guyana, I would have still pledged my loyalty to the P.N.C. For whom Pastor Jones esteems, I esteem.

[handwritten text: Please feel free to always give constructive advice & criticism. If you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to contact us.]

Faithfully yours,
[handwritten text: Yours faithfully,]
TOS [Timothy O. Stoen]

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[handwritten footnote: “Our healing services have never been the main interest of our group. Our interest is humanitarian. We are only in Guyana to serve and do not desire to be involved in continued controversy. We will not have any more healing services if you feel we can thereby serve the better, although a Baptist minister, a Lutheran minister, and one head of a denomination have offered their support and facilities to us in Guyana. We have received many warm letters of encouragement from people of all churches there.

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Paula Adams letter to Forbes Burnham, June 1976

[Hand written lines] Prime Minister
End of June, 1976

Bishop Jim Jones sends his warmest greetings and asked me to acquaint you with the prolific and widespread ministry of Peoples Temple.

The founder leader of Peoples Temple, Jim Jones, recently held a meeting with the leader of the Nation of Islam, Wallace D. Muhammad. The growing friendship between the two leaders is bringing about a unified struggle against social and economic oppression in the United States. Guest speakers were brought by Bishop Jones and included Lt. Governor of California Mervyn Dymally, Mayor Thomas Bradley of Los Angeles, Dr. Carlton Goodlett, President of the National Newspaper Publishers (who also runs the Peoples Temple medical facilities). Angela Davis spoke at the particular request of Bishop Jones and attends his services when she does go to a church.

Bishop Jones spoke at the Nation’s leader’s Chicago mosque in May of this year and asked of Wallace Muhammad that the New York mosque be named to honor assassinated Malcolm X; and it has now been changed.

African dignitaries have also been guests of Bishop Jones speaking at the San Francisco Peoples Temple Headquarters. Elisio Figueirido, United Nations Ambassador from the Peoples Republic of Angola spoke on the victory of the MPLA. Tapeon Maware, National Chairman of Zimbabwe African National Union and Hamza Aziz, political affairs attache of the Tanzania Embassy, and representatives from Namibia and the Pan African Congress also spoke on the state of affairs of their respective countries. Our San Francisco Temple received several bomb threats for having the African Liberation Day celebrations where these leaders spoke.

Bishop Jones raised the money to pay the $20,000 bail for Ka-mook, the wife of American Indian Movement leader, Dennis Banks. Ka-mook was being held in an Oregon prison where she gave birth to a baby girl and was immediately separated from the baby after birth by prison officials and did not see her baby, Iron Door Woman, until Bishop Jones heard of the mother’s plight.

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Dennis Banks is wanted in South Dakota on a controversial conviction for possession of arms in a riot “without intent to kill” and is facing extradition from California to South Dakota. Bishop Jim Jones has opposed this call for extradition and spoke at a large rally recently organized with his help and supported by several thousand Temple members.

Bishop Jones has received support and praise from various sectors of the nation for his undeniable humanitarian spirited progress. He was recently awarded and congratulated by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and CBS Television President Arthur Taylor as on of the nations’s 100 Most Outstanding Clergymen by an interfaith organization called Religion in American Life. The Bishop has received awards for his character and human service ministry which has established senior citizen homes, children’s care homes, animal shelters, drug rehabilitation centers, free medical facilities, free and equal educational opportunities to young people, free legal services, so well as a tireless commitment to social justice and democratic principles.

Bishop Jones has been appointed to the Mayor’s Commission in San Francisco because of the high respect he has generated from the community and has frequently had as guests to our Temple, the Mayor, the District Attorney, the Sheriff, the Lieutenant Governor, and other local administrators, in addition to many civil rights’ activists who have come at the invitation of Bishop Jones to speak at our Temple all across the nation.

Because of the esteem the District Attorney of San Francisco has for Bishop Jones, he appointed Timothy Stoen, who is a member of the Peoples Temple Board as the Assistant District Attorney of San Francisco, California.

Bishop Jones just concluded a trip across the United STates with a caravan of 13 Greyhound type buses spreading the word for brotherhood, equality, and social justice. He spoke in the major capitals of the U.S. in 16 straight 4 hour meetings in 16 days. He combined the trip of speaking to educate the people in the need for a unified struggle to fight oppression and work for Christian egalitarianism with a vacation for 300 children and 200 senior citizens who could never afford to make such a trip8 on their own. (I have never known Jim Jones to take a vacation for himself. As long as I can remember, he has taken hundreds of children from ghetto areas for trips to places they may never have been able to see in their entire lives.)

With recent uncoverings of CIA clandestine activities, there is a growing pessimism among the U.S. citizenry of the innocence of certain agencies to the charges for developing countries about attempts being made to destabilize governments either economically or through a coup d’etat.

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Although the pessimism is there, when the people have no means of hearing or reading the truth because of slanted right wing or uninformed news medias, they make no challenge for investigation or disclosure of agency activities in these countries. Bishop Jones wishes me to extend his invitation to organize large rallies in the U.S. co-sponsored or coordinated with the Nation of Islam’s leader for you or Dr. Reid to speak on the destabilization attempts. Bishop Jones has association with several newspaper editors, as well as our own paper which has a circulation of 600,000 in the San Francisco area alone, and the Bishop has radio programs across the United States and television programs in major cities. The truth would reach millions of people. The Bishop does wish me to impart to you that he will praise and support Guyana at every opportunity as he has always done.

It has been Bishop Jim Jones’s strongest desire for his representatives in Guyana to convey his and Peoples Temple’s loyalty to the enlightened leadership and government of Guyana. To prove our loyalty, every member of Peoples Teple would be willing to take a polygraph test at any time. Bishop Jones asked me to extend his warments regards and deepest respect for you.

Co-operatively yours,
Paula Adams, Administrative
Secretary for Bishop Jim Jones

C.c. Honourable Dr. Ptolemy Reid,
Deputy Prime Minister,
Camp St., Cummingsberg,
Georgetown

P.S. The Bishop would like to offer board and room to any government sponsored student who is going to college near our Temples in California, recommended by you or anyone you designate.

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Mike Prokes letter to Forbes Burnham, October 18, 1976

[Handwritten] P.A. [Paula Adams] Copy
18th October, 1976

Honourable Prime Minister Forbes Burnham
Office of the Prime Minister
Brickdam
Stabroek
Georgetown
Republic of Guyana

Dear Mr. Burnham:

Thank you for taking the time to speak to our representative who met with you at Port Kaituma this past week. They said you were most gracious. Bishop Jim Jones was working in the fields when we received word you were coming, and was sorry he missed the opportunity to see you.

If you could spare a few minutes from your busy schedule, I would like to take this opportunity to express a few concerns and also bring your attention to some things I’m sure you’re not aware of, but would appreciate hearing.

Some of our stateside people were disappointed by the reception accorded to Wallace D. Muhammad of the Nation of islam because it looked like he has greater acceptance here, when he is doing nothing here. Many of our members are planning to make Guyana their permanent home and naturally they want assurance that their leader has complete acceptance. Bishop Jones is mainly responsible for raising the nearly three to four million dollars that has gone into our mission project. It is not something that has been easily afforded. It has been a particularly heavy financial burden because of our socialistic lifestyle in the states where we are maintaining so many of our people through programs and facilities that meet all of their material needs. The Bishop himself wasn’t at all bothered by Muhammad’s reception. In fact he told us that it was, no doubt, the Muslims who made the overture to come here and be received, rather than the reverse case. He said that Guyana is under fire and just doesn’t have the time to plan such affairs. I’m sure this is true but there are many leaders-religious, community, and governmental–who look to Bishop Jones and intend to come here as racism continues to endanger the freedom that is left in America. If you are attacked, they intend to fight on behalf of Guyana, if you wish their services. The Bishop has told them that he would even prefer death than to see a good Socialist government like yours be destroyed. But for him to be most effective in his efforts to raise money for our mission and to gain the loyal support that is needed for your government and sustain the substantial support he has already gotten, a strong showing of public acceptance of our Bishop would be tremendous help plus it very likely would cause others to show needed support for Guyana in these trying times.

The next trip he makes, Bishop Jones will probably be accompanied by a number of leaders (both from high echelons of government and the church) who are interested

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in seeing your country after hearing it praised as a great hope for the Third World by Bishop Jones. The trip will be made sometime in January or February and tentatively includes the Lt. Governor of California, a congressman, the head of all the organized Black press in the United States, and a prominent Black church leader. Naturally, it will help immeasurably if Bishop Jones is received as a dignitary, which he cares nothing about because he detests anything that looks like social climbing. But he has a lot of prestige in the States. In fact he is influential and respected among virtually every segment of leadership in the U.S. A reception would enormously enhance the support of our people, the leaders that will be with Bishop Jones, and other dignitaries back in the States. There need be no concern about the Bishop coming back to the States and making the wrong sort of statements, from your vantage point, or circulating pictures of Dr. Jagan or with anyone who does not give absolute support to your administration, and that has been his policy all along. Following W. D. Muhammad’s visit, the Nation of Islam circulated a special edition of their paper in the U.S. which they gave out showing Muhammad’s meeting with you and his meeting with Dr. Jagan. But there was no statement of support, expressed or implied, for Guyana or Jamaica (which was also covered), and there was no denunciation of destabilization efforts.

We felt it unwise for Mr. Muhammad or his public relations department to play up his meeting with Jagan equal to his meeting with you, in light of Jagan’s divisiveness via his newsletter which goes to many socialists and liberals in the U.S. For Muhammad to put him on the same level as you made it look to many like he (Muhammad) was hobnobbing or trying to show political and social prestige. Confidentially one of Muhammad’s brothers recently said to Dr. Richard Tropp of staff that he feels closer to Bishop Jones than to Muhammad because, “He has the Black pride of my dad.” But although the Bishop has educated many Muslims to socialism using Guyana as a model, we don’t break ranks with them–we both keep our respective stances uncompromised. Recently, for your information, the Muslims have come out with a concept they term “capitalistic communism” which doesn’t make any sense. Governmental leaders don’t fool with Muhammad because he’s off into theologically gobbledygook. But they do come to Bishop Jones, though it may only be due to the large following he has, which of course represents votes. However, they are aware that he does not give endorsements and there is significant appreciation of his forthright political stance in which he speaks about the danger to freedom in the U.S. and the model of freedom that is developing Guyana. (However in accord with Dr. Wills excellent judgment, he will do so for the first time immediately upon returning after posing certain vital questions to the candidate

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decided upon.)

The reason Bishop Jones has not given an endorsement in the past is because it has always been a choice between the lesser of two evils, and this time is probably no exception, though Black and Socialist leader friends of the Bishop agree that one would prove to be less reactionary than the other. Your Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fred Wills, also told Bishop Jones in a meeting with him Friday that “one” would be preferable over the other, so that is the way he will go. He may endorse him depending on whether he gets a commitment on a number of issues that Minister Wills wisely advised Bishop Jones to raise in scheduled meetings with Mondale and later Carter. These are issues pertaining to foreign affairs and the Bishop wholeheartedly agrees with your minister’s stance on every one of them. After meeting with D. Reid and your foreign minister Bishop Jones said he felt they had the pulse of what you and the Guyanese people feel and the best ideas on how the world can survive. They represent you well. They, he said he finds himself more and more a Guyanese socialist first and a world socialist second.

He said it’s easy for Jagan to send out a newsletter saying that you shouldn’t criticize Brazil when the Socialist powers have not been noted for coming to the aid of such popular regimes as the Chilean government. He said even Sweden took in more refugees.

Jimmy Carter (the presidential candidate), by the way, requested the meeting with Bishop Jones because he told our staff that Jim Jones and Peoples Temple is all he has heard about since his wife met and dined privately with our Bishop. He was supposed to meet this past week with Carter but he thought it was more important to come to Guyana, and so he has been asked to meet at a later date. He was not overwhelmed by the request, though since talking to your foreign minister he hopes it represents the possibility of change in leadership approach. He feels that there is still a strong possibility that it is a meeting primarily designed to get votes.

Our bishop is a socialist through and through and he says it publicly to all of his congregations which is a rare thing in the U.S.A. He has more public unity among the left than anybody. In spite of what Jagan writes, no one has ever attacked or criticized Bishop Jones for his championing of Guyana, which he does everywhere he goes. But Jagan does not make it easy for him with his divisive newsletter. We understanding full well the Chilean situation because our Bishop had become good friends with Dr. Orlando Letelier. He became concerned when Dr. Letelier expressed that he felt sure nothing would happen to him in America, and Bishop Jones told him how the country is filled with violence. He now only wishes that he had

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made a firmer request to Dr. Letelier that he stay in the West when he visited with some of us just before his assassination. But he taught in the East and had a commitment there so it probably would have done no good anyway. So Jim Jones says he cannot forget the Chilean experience; it taught socialists all over the world. As one of your leaders pointed out, there have been times when the Soviets did not even back up their allies, and in Chile, it was not an attractive situation. Bishop Jones says that maybe the logic exceeds his humble ability to comprehend, but he does not understand why the embassy door was shut in the face of those fleeing from the repressive regime. So he said it’s very logical that you would not attack Brazil. He says we’ve got to realize pragmatically that you are alone at this particular time. He feels that the theory of the paper tiger has good credibility, pertaining to even bluffing people back in a nuclear situation, although there was some exception to it in the U.S.S.R.’s support for Angola, overall, it seems that the Monroe Doctrine is still honored even by major leaders of the Socialist world. The Ambassador to Sweden did more in our press to champion the plight of the Chileans, than anybody. So we understand your independent course and wholeheartedly agree with it! As our Bishop declares to us you cannot afford to get entrapped in alliances, unless those alliances will guarantee your internal security. Until they are willing to say “yes”, if you’re attacked, we will come to your defense. Bishop Jones says that Jagan has to understand this reality! You have not compromised–you’ve let the socialists from every sphere come in all the time and you’re making trade arrangements with al socialist nations. We need something done about the Sino-Soviet split and you surely are the model. This was one of the worst things that could have happened. Surely there is a necessity for every country to go through its own stage of nationalism, but the worst thing that could possibly happen in the face of major capitalists’ multinational corporations from Japan and the U.S. attempting to dominate the world is the Sino-Soviet’s division. It plays right into the hands of their nefarious schemes.

Jagan, in his newsletter, also claimed to have pushed for government control of the education system and similar things for years. Our Bishop said it sounded like a child saying, “It was my idea first.” But Bishop Jones agreed with your cautious approach and timing.

Our Bishop is regarded with great esteem by government officials, as well as church leaders and the business and professional community (which he is often asked to speak before). A few weeks ago, we gave a testimonial dinner in Bishop Jones’ honor in our headquarters city of San Francisco, California and nearly 8,000 people came from all walks of life, including leaders from many religions who respect and recognize him as one of the 40 most outstanding religious leaders in America (an

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honor bestowed on him by a prominent interfaith national organization, Religion in American Life.) Our Bishop even turned a Methodist Superintendent in California into a socialist. He is very effective as a speaker who Angela Davis says is the most articulate she has ever heard. All the dignitaries who came to his last service at our headquarters Temple, such as the mayor, Lt. Governor, Congressman Willie Brown, Chief of Police, and President of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (who credits our Bishop with slowing counter-revolutionary efforts to overthrow the government of Guyana through his speeches and influence in the States), were all convinced by Bishop Jones of the excellence of your administration and that socialism will either come to the U.S.A. or de jure fascism soon and we are terrified it will be the latter.

On his most recent tour across the nation, Bishop Jones spoke before thousands of people in each of five large cities to overflow audiences at the Nation of Islam (Wallace D. Muhammad gives the appearance of unity at all times with us because Bishop Jones brings in the crowds), and Methodist, A.M.E., and Baptist churches. He praised socialism in Guyana under your leadership in each meeting in these churches, which all look to him for guidance. He has even gotten a large segment of the U.S. press to listen and write remarks that freedom is about to be lost in America and some even his outright praise which he literally gives you everywhere he speaks, at some point in his sermon.

A month or so ago, Bishop Jones was credited with gaining the freedom of two newspaper editors and two reporters by organizing 1600 people who marched for several days and nights straight, hundreds of miles from their homes. The newsmen had been jailed in a press freedom case which the Bishop brought to the attention of the entire country through his efforts to make known the newsmen’s plight. He did it because he saw freedom being further jeopardized. But as a result, he now also has the support of the largest and most powerful newspaper and broadcasting chain in California, not to mention many other publishers throughout the United States even though they well may not share our socialist views.

One final thing. Some of our leaders who, like Bishop Jones are prepared to die for what they believe, are concerned that there might be a rise of nationalistic feeling that would be intolerant of so-called foreigners. They are wondering if the CIA intrigue won’t spill over on all Americans and result in “no Americans wanted.” We don’t believe it but positive assurance would be helpful because it’s not the easiest thing in the world to champion a socialist country in the U.S.A., as our Bishop does Guyana. We feel a duty to America but the apathy is openly conceded by all socialists to be nothing less than appalling, so we want our children to live under a socialist system as it’s being demonstrated in Guyana.

Thank you for your indulgence and we hope to hear from one of your representatives. In the meantime, if you there is anyway in our power to assist you or your administra-

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tion, please know you can call on us at anytime. We are making production of cassava in our agriculture mission a priority hopefully so that we can make a substantial contribution to the government mill in Port Kaituma! We are planting out a nursery of over 10,000 citrus trees and there will be an orchard with every type of fruit tree indigenous to Guyana planted over 100 acres (both are near completion). Ground provisions of all types, kidney beans, pineapple, banana, and plantain are planted over the remaining two hundred acres. We now have 3,000 chickens and 50 pigs to enhance the protein production in the area. Construction is moving at a pace compatible with the farm’s expansion thereby furthering community development as well. There are now enough dwellings to house over 200 people and steam generators are being looked into to supply a larger community with a cheaper source of power. A sawmill is being constructed on the farm to complement the building program and land-clearing program. Rather than waste the valuable timber when the land is cleared, we are aiming to utilize it in the building program. The contributions to the development of Guyana that we have made are a demonstration for the respect that Bishop Jones has for your socialist commitment to Guyana and your dedicated leadership.

I am
Respectfully and loyally,
Michael Prokes

P.S. The enclosed letter was also intended for you some time ago, but was misplaced and didn’t get sent. It mentions our membership in California but not our nation-wide personal membership following which is well in excess of 100,000, of course as you may know Bishop Jones is also a highly regarded leader in the 2.2 million U.S.A. Disciples of Christ denomination. Dr. Reid has a copy of our newspaper which tells of the Free Press issue and Testimonial Dinner mentioned earlier. It goes to 600,000 residents in San Francisco and the Bay Area and to over two million to our church districts nationwide. It has proved to be an effective instrument for influencing people toward socialist principles through a financial write-off because we refuse to be dictated to by commercial advertisers as they attempt to do when you carry articles praising egalitarian leaders such as you which we will continue to do!

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[Duplicate of letter above at D-3-A-19a – D-3-A-19f]

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[Draft of letter at D-3-A-19a – D-3-A-19f]

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Unsigned note regarding Forbes Burnham’s schedule, November 15, 1976

November 15, 1976

Forbes Burnham

HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER:

Secretary, Comrade Arno:

P.M. said he would not have time for luncheon or dinner, but he would have an audience with Bishop Jones and the Lt. Gov. He would see them on the 29th, December 1976 around 10:30 A.M. tentatively. The time may be altered, but not the date. (details for this appt. Are attached to back page). Ruby harry, another of the P.M.’s secretaries called to inform us the P.M. had received a letter from Congressman Willie Brown, stating he would be coming.

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Jim Jones letter addressed to Forbes Burnham, Nov. 29, 1977

[The following letter appears as BB-17-ss-2 on https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=127357.]

SENT TO: [Ptolemy] Reid, [Vibert] Mingo, [Fred] Wills, [Forbes] Burnham

Nov. 29, 1977

Dear Cde. Burnham;
In an effort to improve the course for integration of our organization into the Guyanese stream of living, we wish to beg a few moments of your time to keep you abreast of developments and select matters which are felt to affect us both.

HARASSMENT:

In a letter to you dated November 15, the topic, “Examples of harassment” did not give the background required an understanding just how situations like that were able to develop. The location of the incidence of the arrest frame-ups of myself and my son, Lew Eric (who has a new son born in Guyana) was Los Angeles which is notorious for a fascist and racist police force. The late Cde. Claude Worrell (who was a courageous warrior against political repression and a great friend) was versed in the tactics of the Los Angeles Police force and mentioned to me the times when frame-ups were also attempted on him: a young woman he was seeing was approached by the LA police and offered a bribe to claim that Claude had raped her – enough of a charge to disbar him from ever practicing law again. Another time they tried to get a friend of his, who was a deputy sheriff, to lie on him. When the sheriff refused he was demoted and taken off of active duty. Claudia confided to me the frustration of living in a racist legal system knowing that it was hopeless and receiving a fair trial for his clients. He felt a great pride in giving his life to Guyana and to a leadership which is working for socialist economic justice.

A book which gives a great background to the operations of the LA police it is called the Glass House Tapes, written by Louis Tackwood, a black man who had worked for the LA police as a paid informer. He was later stricken by his conscience and told what he knew of the goings-on within the “Glasshouse” (as the political section of the police department was called). He told of the coordinated effort of the LAPD with the CIA. In fact, it was Claude Worrell who first put Tackwood on the witness stand about the role he played as both informer and provocateur. (If you should wish to read this book, I’ll gladly provide it).

Several years ago before either of the arrest frame-ups mentioned occurred, there were simultaneous attacks on different black groups on the same Sunday morning. We were not excepted. An apparent “set up” was made by the LA police force, although to this day we don’t know the full background. Just outside our church some white ambulance attendants were trying to force an older black woman into an ambulance. She had evidently suffered a slight sunstroke, but had completely recovered and stated she did not wish to get in. The ambulance attendants started calling her “nigger bitch” and tried to shove her into the ambulance. We heard the commotion and went to her rescue. Evidently they radioed for help, although I don’t know when they found time, because within minutes an LA “riot” squad was there beating our people, women, and children over the heads with circled overhead. I kept most of my people indoors because we were, and are pacifists and did not want a scene like that which ensued through no provocation of ours. The outcome was the arrest of my wife,

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my oldest adopted son, Johnny (who is here with his wife and daughter), another married man who has a wife and son here, Michael Prokes, and another black male member, C. J. Jackson. None of them had ever been arrested before and were only taken in after trying to stop the ambulance attendant from shoving and forcing the woman into the ambulance after she stated she did not wish to go. There were no grounds for arrest.

I could see what was happening: they were trying to provoke our pacifist people into violent action but I controled the people and kept them inside. I told my people not to get alarmed, that I would go to the police station, try to reason with them and get our people out of jail.

I walked into the police division with officials of our church, member-attorneys, and visiting officials. While in conference with the PR man for the police department, three white officers stepped up to me and said that I was going to be taken into custody also. They put me in a cell with blood splattered all over the floor, possibly to intimidate me. My wife, who was that time a high state official, was put into a room without windows. It was as if they knew the one problem she had not overcome was claustrophobia. One man (who I don’t even remember the name of because they all looked the same to me) came up to me and said, “Well, you’ve got lots of people, you can afford bail.” I told him that being we hadn’t done anything wrong, I wouldn’t dream of putting up any bail, and in the first place: poor people can’t afford to bail, I am a socialist and I don’t believe in the bail system. He said that I couldn’t stay in jail – it will be at least six weeks before I would get on the court docket. I said, “that’s your problem, I don’t take bail.” This went on for a few hours when finally a police commander came in and said that he understood that I had refused bail and that there had been some mistake: my wife and I were to be released. I said, “No you won’t. You will have to release all of us because we’ve done nothing wrong.” I told him that I had instructed my entire congregation to wait for our return. I was getting weary of this and so was my congregation and they’d probably be down to find out what is going on.

He left saying he had to call somebody, who it was I never knew. After three hours had past he came back and said charges were dropped on all of us. I told him that we wanted someone to come to our church and apologize to the people because it is difficult enough keeping pacifism. On the following Thursday police officer apologized publicly to our congregation. Thereafter we paid for it.

Harassment went on and on for several weeks until I finally culminated in a second arrest (described in the November 15 letter). My arrest was not made at the scene of the “set-up”, but in a hallway, a public place. I suppose it was meant to cause embarrassment. They said something like, “we warned you, don’t resist,” which showed that they were evidently counting on me to resist. Another attempt at intimidation occurred when we were crossing over a bridge. The policeman slowed down the car and said, “It would make a fellow in your position feel like jumping off a bridge, wouldn’t it?” So I went through the same old process; told him I wouldn’t take bail. I told him we didn’t care what they did, that we knew their workings and we will consider anything they say “a badge of honor.” The district attorney knew the judge I was to get was a conservative, or moderate at best, but even he knew the despicable tactics they use in the charges were dropped, as the record, which was ordered sealed, shows, with no sti-

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pulation to probable cause “and” no evidence that a violation occurred. My wife, my son, and all persons involved in both incidents have been completely exonerated. We will gladly produce affidavits as well as a copy of the sealed records showing that there was no evidence that any violation occurred. Amazingly, there was never a word in the press about it because of the audacious stand I took by telling all of my people about it. I have told all this to my people because I believe in being open and direct.

Two activists from integrated groups have had similar frame-ups this past week. Although they were not members of our organization nor have they expressed a desire to come live in Guyana, they have been very supportive of us. This same department has even tried to frame the mayor of Los Angeles on two different locations. His opinion of this department was drastically modified.

Now [Ed Davis] the head of the entire Los Angeles Police Department, a man with a reputation as a reactionary fascist running for governor of our state clearly shows which way the political scenario is moving. In the black sections of Los Angeles there is an average of two slayings of innocent blacks each week.

POST RIOT:

After the riot they tried to start – a man working in the LAPD came to me in confidence because he shares some of our views, and warned us to be very, very careful and watch out. Unfortunately we weren’t careful enough. This same man has come to us again, speaking to my associate minister in Los Angeles. Again in confidence, he said for us to watch out, that the police department is storing these tactics again. He wasn’t referring to us this time, but warned us (because of our association with Guyana) that any Guyanese officials working in their line of duty was in imminent danger.

These racist tactics are not involved in any of our people, but they have involved black people we know. This warning about your officials worries me because it was through the knowledge of your consulate in LA that we met Claude Worrell and how we came to be in Guyana. Claude was a fighter and he knew the police state consciousness, but he is no longer there: I am a scrapper and a fighter but I am not there.

This is the same man with the same warning and his warnings came to reckoning. We have instructed all of our people to not go to any public places because we know we can’t be too careful – the last incident took place down the street from our church in a theater.

There have been only two situations with the law but we’ve had many “close shaves” with police harassment especially on our educational cross-country trips in our fleet of Greyhound buses. One time on a street corner in New York there was a black lad and a Puerto Rican lad with knives in their hands going at it. We jumped off the bus asking what kind of inhumane treatment is this for a policeman standing to the temperament. The policeman told us to get back on the bus and stay out of it, they would break up the fight, which they subsequently did. Had our presence not been there, I don’t know what would have happened (possibly one of them might have been killed: the other charged with murder).

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There are strong neo-fascist signals and right-wing turns, therefore I want to forewarn you because I know you have an office there. I don’t know if the man knows what he is talking about. But, he is in the right department to know and he was accurate on the last occasion.

PNC INVOLVEMENT:

The PNC Conference held at Matthews Ridge within the past couple of days enthusiastically received the performance of our various talents of music, singing, and the Peoples Temple drill team. Our delegates and performers told us of the delighted reception we were given for our participation and we deeply appreciate this.

Minister Jack’s remarks about us publicly and also privately when he came in to visit us were filled with good will and encouragement. The Regional Minister at the conference also publicly acknowledged our contributions to the community with a spirit of fellowship. Minister King mentioned the absurdity of bringing in and using soft drinks when the most delicious drinks are right there only waiting to be prepared. We couldn’t agree more. We only use local drink and find soft drinks to be inferior in quality and costly indulgence.

Members of the conference were very understanding of the fact that our people were not in the best of appearance because he lost some clothing and had no clothing to change into after being involved in the long train ride and the self-help program in the area before the meeting.

The conference was most stimulating to our delegates in attendance but they couldn’t help noticing the boredom displayed and the mannerisms of home they found out to be, Gregory Gaskin’s wife. Because our new home means so much to us, they found it quite odd that she didn’t even sing the National Anthem. The little girl sitting in between her and her husband (apparently her little girl) must have found her behavior strange also because she kept looking up at her in stony silence.

Our local PNC meetings in Kaituma are attended weekly by approximately twenty delegates from Peoples Temple. We are making up the deficit to meet the Kaituma Party goal.

REGIONAL COOPERATION:

Our medical program has been called the most advanced and thorough performing for any hinterland or rural project. Dr. [Larry] Schacht, our young doctor, is now going into the local community to reach people with medical attention.

ENTERTAINMENT:

During the tour of our farm one Minister made favorable comments about our elimination of violent films from our up-to-date selection of educational, entertainment, and comedy features shown on our video TV. We found it very encouraging that the government shares our views about the association of violent films anti-social behavior. We also agree that the wrong sort of films tend to encourage an improper emphasis on materialism.

We are attempting more assimilation and many of the young members at the Matthews Ridge conference were very friendly to our young people but all they could talk of was wishing they could get married so they could move to the USA. We found this to be the only discouraging thing about the otherwise absorbing conference.

We feel it would be helpful if a different kind of film was brought into the country; which didn’t give a Hollywood version of life as

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greener on the other side of the fence. We know it is difficult for a small developing nation to do much educating about the racism in the US, but we have seen our own children develop by leaps and bounds since we brought them only films with moral themes, or documentaries, or ones carry messages about the bad social conditions of the Western Society (even Hollywood has made some good ones with these themes).

NECESSITY: THE MOTHER OF INVENTION:

We have completely eliminated the need for cooking gas in our meal preparation for nearly one thousand people. Wood burning outdoor ovens and stoves proved to be more efficient, more reliable and less expensive in our communal cooking. Our boat took nearly twenty empty cooking gas cylinders to Georgetown to be filled. No gas was to be found anywhere so we had a meeting of our inventive people with practical skills and within a couple of days we developed a method of cooking which turned out to be superior.

A steam generator, which will operate on wood and waste, is on order to supply power to the entire community. This will eliminate any need for the very expensive fuel to operate our generators. We are doing what we can to become as “local” minded as possible and to save what foreign dollars we can for the important development necessities for Guyana.

Cooperatively Yours,
Jim Jones

Enclosure: Common Sense article

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Mike Prokes Letter to Forbes Burnham, March 18, 1978

[This letter also appears as BB-29-m-1 – m-3 at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=125541.]

Michael Prokes
Peoples Temple Agricultural Project
PO Box 893
Georgetown
18th March, 1978

Honorable Prime Minister Forbes Burnham
Office of the Prime Minister
Public Buildings
Georgetown

Dear Prime Minister Burnham:

We have learned not to trust abstract pledges of loyalty too extensively. In our own experience, in many cases, we have given much in help and support, and although we have strong support, nevertheless little in practical loyalty has returned. We have learned to be cautious, and that is why we ask questions, such as about the resignation of the Foreign Minister [Fred Wills]. Minister [Vibert] Mingo allayed our fears about it being indicative of a move to the far right. (We had heard that the far right of the party had forced you to make that move.)

We gather from various sources that perhaps there was a misuse of funds, and, from your own speeches we concluded that not as much work was being done as the need for productivity requires. It would have been helpful if someone had immediately told us the currents of change. We went through some anxious moments. We had caught the Foreign Minister in rough little lying games, but we still like him because he highly regarded you, and interpreted you in an intelligent manner to us. We had been getting all kinds of diametrically opposed views on what your attitude was, vis a vis our movement. It seems a lot of people like to stir up mischief.

Life has certain parameters of the basic elements of freedom we have to have. However you can depend on our loyalty. We would never go to your opposition. We are Third World people predominantly Black, and distrust anyone who would appeal to racism as a basis for support. Even the Soviets have always been friendly to us at home, and as far as we can tell, they have been friendly to us abroad.

We need guarantees that our freedom and survival won’t be hampered by the machinations of a few reactionary racists abroad. If the reactionaries are coming down on you and us, there is nothing so ennobling than good cause to die for. We all die sometime, so we take our life one day at a time, and fill it with so much joy in production and human services such as medical care in our own community and for the many who come daily from the community around us.

We are not interested in working with any administration but yours. You can depend on that kind of loyalty. We don’t count that much on a future, because we have had too many of your so-called

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“supporters” talk in a very dual fashion about their loyalty to you. We believe in Dr. Reid, Minister Mingo, Minister Green, and Minister Jack who seems sincere. There are a few others that we have spoken to, but have not had enough contact with to be certain.

We keep hearing recurring rumors that this or that person will be the next PM – names other than Dr. Reid. We would have no confidence living under the administration of one person who appears interested in your position. We are not religious but one thing Jesus said is a valid guidepost: “No man takes my life. I’ll lay it down on my own terms.” When you stood up to [Henry] Kissinger, we heard all kinds of complaints. Jim Jones, however, shows that time to bring his sons here with him, as they wanted to be present, and if the US came to destroy you, as with Dr. [Salvador] Allende, he and his sons wanted to die with you. (Jim’s son, John, has tested as a genius, and even at his age, he understood the gravity of the situation.) We have been through so much hell – attempted assassination, church and senior citizen homes burned that it has certainly steeled our backbone for dying.

Please guard your health well. The human race has not come so far in socialist evolution that people are not still much like other primates. No matter what their leader had achieved in the past, the moment he appears a little ill, the pack moves in for the kill. Although we do not presume to advise you, continue to keep a wary eye on North America. It would seem that the pivotal factor is to insure that the army is loyal and from our own experience we would judge that an army official who would give up his seat on an aircraft to a sick Amerindian woman does not seem to have ambition for personal power.

Please lend any assistance you can to see that our amateur radios are permitted out of customs. They are one of the best things we can do for Guyana. We, especially Jim himself, made thousands of friends for Guyana and the project. He pushes himself to stay up hour after hour and makes contacts, usually getting only two hours sleep a night and then dragging himself out to the fields, each day. He does this because he feels it is the least he can do to show appreciation living under a black prime minister who is first and foremost a statesman and genius at diplomacy, which is so desperately needed for the nation’s survival. You also have a hell of a genius, and one very dedicated to you, in comrade Dr. Reid.

We have met many, but can honestly say that none compare to the fine character and dedicated example you have shown us as a leader. Our loyalty to you is guaranteed by the principles you have demonstrated.

Cooperatively yours,
Mike Prokes, Associate Minister

P.S. We do not understand why we have been asked by Gregory Gaskin of the Matarkai Scheme to return a cane grater and pitter, and a cane chopper which Dr. Fernandes very recently told us we could use for 6 months. We need them and it has been only 2 months since we were loaned these machines. We find it difficult to understand why Cde. Gaskin would wait until Dr. Fernandes was out of the country to request their return.

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Notes for Prokes Letter to Burnham

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(Rumors)

Paula –

A woman told us this today –

Burnham is the 3rd richest man in the world, the 1st richest Black,

Is sending money out of the country and getting rich while the [illegible word] gets [illegible word]

Young About 30 yrs woman East Indian
runs /owns soda and beer shop –
She has brother + sister in US – says they’ll try to sponsor her to get to US also – She can’t wait [illegible word] Guyana is quiet – food it is too hard to get – and is going Communist

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Tim Carter letter to Forbes Burnham, March 23, 1978

D-3-A-24a

PEOPLES TEMPLE AGRICULTURAL PROJECT
POST OFFICE BOX 93
March 23, 1978

Honorable Prime Minister L.F.S. Burnham
Residence
Vlissengen Rd. at Homestreatch
Georgetown

Dear Cde. Prime Minister Burnham,

This past week Minister Carmichael payed us a brief visit at the Jonestown project. Although he was very kind and most courteous, the subject of his visit—especially when viewed in light of information we have heard in the past several days—only serves to augment our apprehensions. We believe in being straight forward and we do wish others would take the same approach. Allow me to briefly outline the background.

RUMOURS

Five rumors have reached out to the Jonestown project in recent weeks. 1) Two ministers have told us that a third minister, not Minister Carmichael, is saying he get special privilege from the government with regards to the emergency GDF flights. Five days after this rumor reached Jonestown, we were billed for the emergency flight. 2) You may be familiar with the recent very difficult birth of twins in Jonestown. Indeed, we have informed certain persons of the rather sensitive background of the children. Allegedly this same minister is intimating that the twins do not in fact even exist, and has raised an issue about using our amateur radio with which we connect with doctors all over the world. This minister has said, and we have official witnesses to the fact, that he wanted to terminate our use of amateur radio, which is intolerable to us. 3) Three people have asked rather odd questions about Gene Chaikin, the coordinator of our citrus project. 4) Someone representing themselves as being from the Ministry of Economic Development came to our front gate asking about U.S. dollars. 5) We have received telephone calls from persons saying they were from the opposition claiming that the “government” had asked us to meet with them.

With the above in mind, Minister Carmichael’s questions aroused some suspicion. He asked: 1) How much were we paying for GDF flights (in fairness let me stress that he said he wanted to check to see if we were being overcharged only after Cde. Jim Jones pressed the issue). 2) He asked to see the twins and wanted to know if “there was communications with overseas” about the birth. 3) He asked if Cde. Chaikin was on the project.

He stated at the outset that he had two things he wanted to talk about. In other words, the above were the object of his visit and we were simply part of a casual, informal conversation. In light of the above mentioned rumors however, we simply cannot believe his questions were coincidental, although he handled himself like a diplomat and was very thoughtful. Indeed, while he was in Jonestown he saw a very gravely ill child from the neighborhood who will need immediate treatment from Georgetown by a brain surgeon. Cde. Carmichael suggested that the baby stay under the supervision of the medical staff (the mother asked for this too) until arrangements could be made for his transportation into the capitol. The minister said he would check into GDF flights, and I’m sure he will. We do understand the fuel shortage, and the expense entailed in these flights. However, we cannot afford to pay such GDF flights at this time. We are very concerned about this child, and will be sending the baby and its mother into Matthews Ridge in the minister’s car on Friday, if it is not too late. At that time, Cde. Chikin will meet the minister’s land rover, so as to dissuade any ridiculous rumors. He was at the PNC meeting where any official could have asked him any question they had wished.

Just the other day, without any explanation, the sugar cane chopper, and the sugar cane grater/pitter that Gregory Gaskin (who was contacted by Peter Fernandes) had initially told us we could borrow for six months was picked up and returned to Matthews Ridge. We have had it two months. It was not being used before, and we are using it in a way which would have benefitted all of Guyana. When we contacted the vet who is helping in Dr. Fernandes place he said we could keep it after checking with the livestock people between Port Kaituma and Matthews Ridge who own the machinery.

Perhaps it is too much to expect people to be direct and straightforward. It would seem that such an approach would be devious—unless, of course, the intention is not to clarify a situation but to cloud it. From what we have heard, and from the nature of the questions asked, it appears that the intention of one minister of government is to achieve the latter.

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We recognize that to some our approach towards life and death is an enigma. We have even heard that we have been called insane. No doubt, such a misinterpretation stems from a lack of comprehension about our attitude towards living, and especially, dying. We do not fear death. Rather, we would be proud to die for what we believe—proud to have our death meaningful. Cuffy set limits on the usurption of his freedom, and finally gave his life. Vietnamese monks burn themselves for a just social cause—not out of some perverse “weird” sense of martyrdom, but because they felt the cause the were dying for was far more significant than their individual existence.

Such an attitude towards death does not hamper ones ability to live life to its most productive reaches. On the contrary, just because we have always been willing to give our lives in a moment’s notice for principle (in deeds), white government officials who are friendly to us said “the establishment” actually feared our courage to stand up for Black peoples rights so vociferously. After all, we were the only people who stood beside Angela Davis and our efforts were directly responsible for the release of activists (Billy Jo Smith). We are able to take each day and fill it with the love and the joy of living. Please do not underestimate the value of such loyalty to one’s beliefs—when people are as prepared to die as we are, you can count on their loyalty. Some have an unreasoned prejudice against immigrants. We have come a great distance to help build Guyana, an, as you well know, often the “convert” to a “religion” can be more zealous a believer than one born to the faith. Russians told us that was the case with people who came to the USSR to work on co-op farms just after the revolution. (We are not idealogues, but in terms of U.S. relations we have been asked to have Friendly rapport with the USSR.)

We are very much in need of a boat, and have been negotiating on a vessel. We brought this to Guyana’s attention and we have learned from one of your ministers that there is nothing to bar our Guyanese dollars from purchasing it. The boat is registered to Barbados and we were led to believe initially that the current owner is Barbadian. However, now we have heard there may be some question about the current owner’s citizenship. We hope the matter may be speedily resolved. Although we are very much in need of this boat, we trust that no one would be attempting to put us unwittingly in the position of not following Guyana’s guidelines.

COURT ORDER

Initially, several American Embassy officials volunteered the opinion that it would be ridiculous to think that the court order would ever be invoked. Other than John Blacken, none of these persons have any sympathies for socialist organizations. The subject was discussed in the context of an invitation to come to the capitol for some affair. We had to decline, citing the court order as the obstacle, and received the above response. Numerous other of Guyana’s officials subsequently gave us the same assurance, and naturally we felt relatively secure that the leader of our cooperative could travel in absolute safety. (We came to see Guyana knowing full well that the government could control such matters; we were told this by Cde. Claude Worrell.)

This is especially important at this time, with the upcoming cultural show. We felt that a first rate production could be highly beneficial to Guyana because it will demonstrate what the emphasis of cooperative living can achieve. Cde. Jim Jones is an excellent organizer and has considerable talent in his field of theatrical management. We consider his abilities essential to the program, and we made the decision about his coming based on that fact.

Cde. Jim Jones would participate with discretion in the show and arrange a few quiet appointments. However, there are rumors that he is afraid to come to the capital, and that kind of talk reflects badly on Guyana. One person, close to the government, even went so far as to say Jim would be assassinated. This rumor, even if it were in fact reality, would not prevent his coming into the capitol. Death has no fear for him or any of us. Death, in many ways, would be a welcome relief from a life of pain, responsibilities, and pressures, but such an act would trigger absolute chaos among our people.

We are now informed that the court orders will not be implemented unless Tim Stoen’s attorney in the the United States or another of the clique of racist conspirators pressure for the papers to be implemented. In a personal sense whether Cde. Jim Jones is pursued with these papers matters little—but such a move would result in pandemonium among our people. Even in the U.S. on one occasion, when he and some others were attacked in a civil rights demonstration, the organization (including Jim Jones) went on a hunger strike. We were prepared to die unless the framed up charges were dropped. We regret that we came to Guyana already beleaguered by repressive, racist, and reactionary elements. However, such a history has steeled us to adversity, and if Guyana were attacked by enemies foreign or domestic we would be your best supporters. Our experience of racist and reactionary oppression is in that sense of some advantage to you.

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It seems that this reality is difficult to communicate. The most upsetting of the comments we heard came from two high government people who were officials. They remarked that you were afraid to get close to us because “Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple have too many enemies in the United States” Please let all know that we have never begun to tell you of the many friends of the Peoples Temple in the United States. (At one point a very high official friend remarked that you would resent getting our supportive letters to you from very high and influential people in the United States. So we did not send even 100 of those received in our support.)

It is upsetting that any of Guyana’s leaders would say that you are keeping your distance because Jim and his staff have enemies. If we all adhere to that standard there are those who would never become friends with any principled people, such as those in Angola or Cuba.

We repeatedly hear that one minister in particular dislikes us and would do anything to harass our organization. As long as the government under your leadership does not change we are not worried.

We were told there was a complaint that we were given too much knowledge about matters pertaining to us. There are those people who tell us we are given too many assurance guarantees. This is ridiculous. When we pointed out elements that hold respect in Guyana, we were told to shorten our letters, thus we do not go into as much detail as before—but we hold nothing back. Every bit of information we receive is conveyed to you. I am sure if you reviewed letters you will see this is the case. We were informed our letters were never read. We do hope in the interest of your most loyal support from any sector that it is not true and you do study them. As for assurances, everyone knows the community produces much more effectively when its few basic requests, necessary for survival, are provided.

One report that we were led to feel is absolutely reliable said we have been looked into by the Russians; another swears it is the KGB. I think we can feel confident and guarantee that no agents are in our ranks. On the advice of one of Guyana’s officials, we took strong precautions to prevent such infiltration from ever again happening. If in your busy schedule you would ever have the time, we can document statements made about us from high levels that would alienate any other people. However, we are able to look at the overall picture and not be immobilized by details, so our loyalty has been unaffected.

After all the above, let me say there is a positive note. Minister Carmichael has acted quickly and gotten a GDF plane to carry in a mother and her baby (the child appears to have a cranial disorder). His speedy action could have very well meant the life of the child. We regret that one person in the cabinet finds criticism with this vital service, and even wants to silence our amateur radio which we use to consult with the best medical specialists. (This would be utterly intolerable.) Often such consultation obviates the need for emergency flights. It would also help us greatly if we could expedite medical equipment we now have in customs. We have suffered the loss of musical instruments and other things in customs, but we cannot suffer theloss of our medical equipment. It is true that we could have saved the use of a GDF plane if we had had the special equipment. We are especially concerned about an x-ray machine we know has been sent but have been unable to locate to date.

In spite of economic difficulties our homes are filled with our Guyanese compatriots. We make donations consistently that we cannot afford (their housing, medical services, etc.) Babies and children that have been brought to us have been nurtured back to perfect health. We consider such services our duty as well as a privilege and a joy.

There have been many doctors and amateur radio operators who have been helpful but the following have given particularly expert consultations. Might I suggest that a thank you note written to them by someone in Guyana would foster considerable goodwill. The doctors are: Dr. Nicholas Ellyn, ophthalmologist. George Washington University Hospital. His consultations helped save an eye. Dr. John Wilson, cardiologist, Massachusetts General HOspital; and the administrator of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Both of these fine doctors were very helpful with a man who had suffered a cardiac arrest. As you may well know, the hospitals they are affiliated with are the most outstanding in the world. There is also Art (K2TSB) who, although not a doctor, told us he had written his congressmen in support of increased aid to Guyana. We have made over 4000 contacts via this medium, talking always of the beauty of Guyana, although we do not ask that the persons we contact do anything in particular. Responses like the above, I’m sure, are not uncommon. Not once have we encountered an unfriendly or rude person. Cde. Jim Jones spends every night talking about the beauty of Guyana. He gets only 2 hours of sleep a night and sufferers from chronic laryngitis as a result.

One final thing. A note of acknowledgement in a formal letter to our people

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would certainly boost the morale immeasurably. This is so especially when they have heard that one in the cabinet wants to deprive them of this means of communication.

Thank you once again for considering our remarks,.We are deeply appreciative of all that you do. Our loyalty and support are with you always.

Cooperatively yours,
/s/ Tim Carter
Tim Carter
Ass’t to Cde. Jim Jones

Cc: Dr. Reid, in. Mingo

P.S. The issues before us need to reach you as soon as possible. Because of the urgency of upcoming events, we are delivering it to your home.

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D-3-A-6a

May 23, [year obscured]

Hon. Forbes Burnham
Office of the Prime Minister
Government Building
Georgetown, Guyana
S.A.

Dear Comrade,

This letter was sent in care of the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in Georgetown, thus we are forwarding it on to you.

We look forward to the time the opportunity will arise that you can visit our vastly growing project in the North West Region of Guyana.

Co-operatively Yours,
/s/ Deborah Touchette
Deborah Touchette,
Secretary to Cde. Jim Jones

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D-3-A-6b

Endorsement of Jim Jones to Forbes Burnham

[Letterhead of Charles Cameron MacSwan Testimonial Committee]

Hon. Forbes Burnham
Office of the Prime Minister
Government Buildings
Georgetown, Guyana
S.A.

Hon. Burnham:

On behalf of the members of the Charles Cameron Mac Swan Memorial Committee, I wish to advise you of the fine work that is being done by Rev. Jim Jones and The People’s Temple.

Both in your country and the city here The People’s Temple has been doing a fine job of social service. There are many problems in our cities. There is poverty and division between people that leads to a demoralized spirit of the individual. Our government has given lip service to solving these problems, but it remained for Jim Jones and The People’s Temple to begin to get people moving in an upward direction.

Rev. Jones had a vision of a better life for people and was able to put that dream in action. He was able to get people working together, to convince them they were able to build a better world for themselves and their children.

In carrying on the tradition of the great humanitarian, Charles McSwan, the members of this committee hope that you will make a note of the fine work being done by Rev. Jones and the People’s Temple. We feel that their program holds a key to the development of the best future society for all of us.

Your Sincerely,
/s/ Con Malone
Con Malone
On behalf of the committee

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Concerned Relatives letter to Forbes Burnham, June 20, 1978

Mrs. Clare P. Bouquet
18 Tollridge Ct.
San Mateo, Callif. 94402
U.S.A.
June 20, 1978

Prime Minister Forbes Burnham
Georgetown, Guyana
South America
Dear Mr. Burnham,

I am writing to you because I am desperately worried about the safety and well being of my son, Brian Bouquet, and his wife, Claudia. They are with Jim Jones, in the jungle of Guyana at Jonestown. After reading the publicity about the Peoples Temple (including the enclosed article) for over a year, and talking with reporters, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, and former church members, I am convinced that the situation is extremely critical.

The very lives of those eleven hundred Americans may be in jeopardy. I do not believe that they are free to leave, if they desire to do so. For this reason I implore you to take some immediate action to get to the bottom of what is really happening there, and see to it that those people are protected. They must be given an opportunity to leave, under protection, without fear or duress imposed by other church members.

I am counting on your belief in human freedom and dignity to motivate you to help in this grave situation. Thank you.

Sincerely,
/s/ Clare P. Bouquet

Cc: President James Carter
Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State
Congressman Leo J. Ryan
Congressman Paul N. McCloskey
Ambassador Lawrence Mann

[Handwritten addition: “Dear Mr. Mann, I also appeal to you to do whatever possible to help these people. They are American citizens. I would very much appreciate hearing from you, at your earliest convenience. Thank you. Clare Bouquet]

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Grim Report From Jungle

[Editor’s note: This article by Marshall Kilduff appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on June 15, 1978. The PDF appears here.]

The People’s Temple jungle outpost in South America that was portrayed yesterday as a remote realm where the church leader, Rev. Jim Jones, orders public beatings, maintains a squad of 50 armed guards and has involved his 1100 followers in a threat of mass suicide.

This description was provided by Deborah Layton, 23, who was a top aide of Jones until she asked American consular officials 1 month to safeguard her departure from Guyana, when the temple has its agricultural mission.

Peoples Temple officers in San Francisco last night relayed – via shortwave radio from Guyana – and reputation of the charges from two of the South American mission’s residents, identified as Lisa and Larry Layton, the mother and brother of Deborah Layton.

“These lies are too ridiculous to refute,” Lisa Layton said. “… We are treated beautifully here…”

Larry Layton said, “We are treated beautifully.”

San Francisco Temple officer Tim Clancy [Clancey] added, “We absolutely refute all the charges. This just makes us believe more than ever that there is a conspiracy against the church.”

Jones became the center of a storm of controversy last summer when he slipped out of San Francisco with his followers for Guyana. Public charges were made by former followers that Jones had performed false medical cures to win converts, that he oversaw beatings of church members in closed meetings, and that he amassed more than $5 million in donations.

According to Layton, Jones has become a “paranoid” obsessed with “traitors” in his own ranks who question him or do not work hard enough in the farm fields and with an outside world that has publicized his critics.

The fever-pitch emotions of temple members that allowed Jones to dispatch them to civil rights causes and liberal political rallies in California has now turned to a military-style vigilance against an imminent attack by unspecified “mercenaries,” Layton said.

The temple fields are controlled by two rings of khaki-uniformed armed guards, men and women members of “security alert teams” who have access to 200 to 300 rifles, 25 pistols and a homemade bazooka, Layton said.

Discipline, she said, is handled in public meetings of the entire church community. On one occasion an elderly woman was humiliated by being forced to strip, younger members are “knuckled” by having fists ground into their foreheads, and others are ordered to an underground “box” where they must sit for days at a time, Layton said.

Jones has ringed the work fields with loudspeakers and costs for stretches of up to six hours, she said. Farmhands are expected to work from 5:30 AM to 6 PM with an hour for lunch and another hour for dinner before more sermons lasting until midnight, Layton said.

The diet consists mostly of rice, purchased in the Guyana capital of Georgetown because the farm is not expected to be self-sufficient for another three years she said.

She said that on the occasion of visits from outsiders whom Jones wishes to impress, church members are treated to meat and vegetables. Other trusted followers she claimed were drilled to give optimistic opinions about life at the mission, called Jonestown.

Jones, who often went on elaborate lengths to protect his public image in San Francisco, has remained at the mission, refusing even to venture into Georgetown, she reported.

Among his concerns has been a pending child custody case in the Guyana capital.

She said the 1100 followers were told to drink a bitter brown liquid potion, after which they supposedly would fall asleep and then be shot by Jones’ guards. The rehearsal went as far as having the community drink a phony potion before Jones called it off, Layton added.

Layton said she was able to leave Guyana by wangling a trip to Georgetown. After several days she secretly arranged with American consular officials to obtain an emergency passport and flew to New York on May 13. She is now living in San Francisco.

“Everyone there wants to leave, I’m sure of it,” she said. “But you never get a chance to be alone. Everyone is told to spy on other people.”

Layton, who was in charge of church finances here before joining the Guyana colony last December, said Jones controls bank accounts in Europe, California and Guyana containing at least $10 million.

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Tim Carter letter to Forbes Burnham, September 1, 1978

[Peoples Temple letterhead]

September 1, 1978

Honorable L.F.S Burnham
Prime Minister
Parliament Building
Stabroek
Georgetown

Dear Cde. Leader,

We were visited this week by the new Regional Minister, Cde. Durant [Duvant] and we were most impressed by his obvious political awareness and humble attitude. He is, indeed, a gentleman – both courteous and sensitive. Increasingly, we find that those of his age, and those of Minster Mingo’s years, have a depth of understanding that youth lack.

Cde. Durant is the kind of man who takes initiative. We had told him about the Guyanese children that we were privileged to treat in our medical clinic (several of whom had TB), and he took a list of some of the medications we badly need. (Our medical costs are enormous. One month[‘]s order alone was $56,000.) Cde. Durant said he would take this list to the [illegible] to see what could be done. His attitude was one of real concern, and every word out of his mouth was of socialist character.

Cde. Durant is such a contrast with some of the others we have dealt with in the region. Gregory Gaskin, for example, is a brilliant young man, but his arrogance and vulgarity is appalling. His comments revolve almost exclusively around sex, and his comments to our women (such as: “How do you get free sex here?” or “Do men nurse on the breasts?”) are not only offensive — they are absolutely insulting. Our women don’t even know how to talk to him, his realm of consciousness is so far removed from their own socialist perspectives.

On the other hand, the new Regional Minister is a complete contrast. He is a real man of the people. He will be coming back in a few days to spend some time and talk with people in Jonestown (he was not able to do this on his first visit as he was on a tight schedule and could not stay).

We commend you on your “Ministerial choice for our region, and we can say that some of the alienation and loneliness we felt in the past is greatly reduced by our contact with this fine man. We look forward to his future visits, and to working with him for the development of the region.

One of the nice things that touched Cde. Durant, as it does many people, is the political awareness shown by our children when they are asked questions. Cde. Durant questioned some of our 9 year olds, and Carl Blackmon and Herbie Harper walked into different classrooms at random and asked questions, [illegible] they were treated with explanations on the evils of apanjat, the current

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Situation in Zimbabwe, the new treaty between Angola and Zaire and how it [illegible] helped ease tensions, and what the PNC stands for. Anyone they would have talked to could have answered questions like these. It is our responsibility to be internationally and politically informed, and everyone who visits us remarks about the high degree of awareness of the domestic and world scene, from the socialist perspective. Currently we are studying Spanish, Russian, and Chinese as part of our town forums so the entire community may benefit. It is essential to non-aligned countries that the languages of principled socialist countries be learned. Many in the delegation who visited said they were deeply impressed by this eagerness and commitment to educate our community.

You have our undying support always. We are deeply appreciative of the opportunity to live in this proud, free, and Socialist Republic under your brave and inspiring leadership.

Cooperatively yours,
/s/ Timothy J. Carter
Timothy James Carter
Ass. to Cde. Jim Jones

Cc: Dr. Reid

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Unsigned letter to Forbes Burnham, September 7, 1978

September 7, 1978

Cde. L.F.S. Burnham
Office of the Prime Minister
Public Buildings
Georgetown, Guyana

Dear Cde. Burnham,

As you may have already heard or read in the paper, there were two very important and influential progressive leaders who visited Jonestown in the past week. Dr. Carlton Goodlett, Pres. of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, one of the largest press associations in the United States and the main representative for black press in America, and Dr. Donald Freed, noted author, investigator, socio-linguist, cultural anthropologist and lecturer, both spent time at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project touring the facilities and speaking with Cde. Jim Jones. The visits are most significant for Jonestown and Guyana, as well be born out in the future.

Dr. Goodlett, an M.D. and PhD, was deeply impressed with Jonestown and with the direction and progress of the Guyana government. Dr. Goodlett is a longtime friend of the Cde. Jim Jones and deeply respects his work and his opinions. It was Cde. Jones who impressed on Dr. Goodlett the correctness of the bold direction the PNC government is taking, and Dr. Goodlett will be lecturing across the U.S. and Africa on what he saw in Jonestown and the forward thrust of the Guyana Government. What Dr. Goodlett will be saying about Peoples Temple and Guyana will erode the opposition’s support among progressive blacks and other minorities in the U.S., and will enhance and increase the respect, support, and recognition of yourself and the leadership of the PNC. Dr. Goodlett is highly regarded throughout the progressive community in the U.S. (Incidentally, Dr. Goodlett was not pleased to hear about the opportunistic and demeaning manner of the opposition leader’s wife. She refused to shake hands with a black woman who is a good friend of Peoples Temple and who is known to not lie about things.)

Dr. Goodlett raved about the agricultural, educational, cultural and social development he witnessed in Jonestown. He saw it as a continuation of the significant work the Peoples Temple was doing in the United States. A little over a year ago, when it was announced that many members of the Peoples Temple would be moving to Guyana to take on permanent residence and the sensationalist press started its hysterical attacks on Jim Jones, it was Dr. Goodlett who led a very widespread rallying of support for the beleaguered humanitarian group. This support included hundreds of community

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Leaders, progressive organizations, civic, state, and national officials, and many others. In the full page editorial in the largest Afro-American newspaper in California Dr. Goodlett wrote: “An institution that feeds the poor, houses the homeless, rescues the young and old from wretchedness and despair, and marshalls the political potential of a people, and husbands teh economic pittance of the poor masses into a powerful instrument for justice, freedom, and equality, while building a just and humane society, by its very nature will have many enemies hidden, lurking in the shadows of greed, ignorance, neurosis, and hallucinations….Surley many good men and women of courage, steadfastness, and fundamental belief in the power of the organized masses will see in Jim Jones and Peoples Temple not a comet that momentarily lights up the darkness, but another reminder of the meanings of Edmund Burke’s prophetic words…..”All that is necessary for evil in the world to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing.”

As Dr. Goodlett was leaving Guyana he remarked that he would do “everything in my power to spread the word” about the “hope” the Jonestown community has to offer.

Donald Freed, whom you may recognize as the author of the prize-winning play on the Rosenbergs “The Inquest,” was also author of the books on the assisnation of President Kennedy, Executive Action, and Rust to Judgement. He has also written The Killing of RFK, and is currently publishing a book titled “Code Name Zorro”, that details the shocking facts of the conspiracy to murder r. Martin Luther King and the subsequent cover-up of the assisination. Dr. Freed came to Guyana from Washington D.C. where he had been in hearings as a member of the Select Committee for the House of Representatives to investigate the King assisnation. Freed is convinced that there is a profound conspiracy to destroy and discredit Peoples Temple and he is throwing his entire research committee into investigating the matter.

Freed spent a week in Jonestown looking closely at the facilities, gathering facts for a book he hopes to write, and participating in community activities. He affirmed that it is the most outstanding willed community he has ever seen, and called it “unparalleled” and “unequaled”. He reserved his highest praise for the leadership of Jim Jones, saying he had more respect for him then [than] any other leader he had met. He was deeply touched by all that he saw, calling it “awesome,” and said: “Jonestown….offers a microcosm of what we broadly call human nature in its amazing plasticity a model of what we have seen on a large scale in China, the Soviet Union, and Cuba… and social experiment is being carried out….The community is characterized by an extremely sophisticated human behavior across a wide scale of ‘languages’ and skills…The community is a dialectic of struggle and of care which is expressed outwardly towards a ‘class family’ and around and the world and inwardly toward members of the Jonestown community,

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from the infants to the seniors…it is essentially an unspeakable experience, but no doubt it will be spoken about and written about widely and there will be a steady traffic out to the community…”

Dr. Freed explained that efforts to harm the community are “an attempt to criminalize those who are making the leap into a new life”, and more importantly, stated that these efforts are not merely directed against Peoples Temple, but Guyana as well, for following a socialist course. Dr. Freed will be lecturing on Jonestown and Guyana across the United States. He has over a thousand lectures to give and will get to as many as he possibly can.

In their reflections on Jonestown, both Dr. Goodlett and Dr. Freed affirmed that the community had totally eliminated racism, elitism, ageism, and sexism. Furthermore, both have learned through Cde. Jim Jones that the present government and leadership represents the true socialist direction that is best for Guyana. Both were able to see the opposition leader is not a true Marxist-Leninist and had made opportunistic appeals to race (apanjat) that characterized his politics.

You may recall another visitor to the Jonestown project, a white moderate-conservative by the name of Dr. Walter Thain, who is an internationally renowned cytologist. Dr. Thain was very deeply impressed by the project, and he too was “sold” on Guyana and its dynamic thrust. Interestingly, people involved in the conspiracy to destroy and discredit Peoples Temple found his address and dumped all kinds of anti-Peoples Temple and anti-Guyana literature on him. He was not at all affected by it, and in a written response said that the Temple’s medical facilities were outstanding, and that the project physician was one of the best doctors he had come across in his life, and he knew at least five thousand.

Those involved in this conspiracy have been going all out to create confusion, mistrust, fear, and hatred towards Peoples Temple and Guyana. Most recently a journalist named Mrs. Kathy Hunter entered Guyana under false pretenses, (and subsequently attacked Guyana and Peoples Temple in the press). The National Enquirer magazine sent a plane over the North West to take pictures and conduct illegal air surveillance. The Enquirer flight circled Jonestown at low altitude eleven times, and caused so much consternation that one older woman suffered a heart attack. (It should be noted that it is a well known fact that the National Enquirer works closely with the CIA.) These are just two of the more recent efforts against Peoples Temple and Guyana.

The entire conspiracy is a long complicated story, but we hope that soon everything will be clarified. Our belief is that the efforts against us are not originating in the state Dept. or with the President at all. We do know that we obtained definite insight into its operation when our own investigators uncovered a military intelligence surveillance team outside our church. The team was traced to a military installation in the South and it was learned they were under orders from a powerful

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reactionary, racist southern Senator who is now with [meant “in” maybe?] open conflict with the President. It is obvious that the efforts are right wing and target not only Peoples Temple and Guyana, but all who are working for socialism anywhere in the Hemisphere and the world. (The scope of these efforts has been revealed in various publications. Ebony magazine detailed how all black progressive leaders have been targeted for smears and and/or investigations to discredit them.) The eminent black Congress-man and committee chairman, Lewis Stokes, D-Oh, and Congressional black Congressman William Clay, D-Mo, have told that “there is a national conspiracy to eliminate black leadership in the United States, particularly the outspoken ones.”

I hope that the above information has been of interest and help to you. The visits of Mr. Freed and Dr. Goodlett are most encouraging and offer great hope that the efforts against Peoples Temple and Guyana will soon be exposed. Mr. Freed, in his parting words to us, said that Jonestown was the best community and Jim Jones the most exemplary leader he ever had the pleasure to know. We are confident that the people who have come here, and who have seen what is being accomplished in Jonestown and in Guyana, will be able to be strong voices against the reactionary tide that seeks to stem the progress of the masses who are on the road to socialism.