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[Peoples Temple letterhead]
Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ptolemy Reid
Ministry of National Development
Camp Street
Georgetown
Dear Dr. Reid;
Venezuelan Incident
An incident occurred in Papaya when a number of our members went to hear the Prime Minister speak. A Venezuelan Colonel approached several of our younger members, in fact he purposely edged his way through the numbers of people there in order (as if by chance) to encounter some of our teenage residents. His deliberation was evident to those present. Indeed, he quite clearlv chose the time when our more worldly-wise members were speaking to the Prime Minister.
Apparently, he tried his best to obtain information from these young people, whom he no doubt thought were very impressionable and would thus be quite talkative. He judged them wrong, however. We have seen too much of this type of interrogation for even our youth not to be well aware of the technique. He appeared to be ingratiating and warm, saying he had heard much about us about our project, and that Dr. Reid had praised us highly. In the next breath he asked a myriad of questions about our lifestyle, production, how we got people to work so effectively, what kind of social system we had, etc. He was very clearly fishing for information and bore the classic earmarks of one in intelligence work. Our people are very astute and he picked some very sharp young people. They pointed out that the work ethic is put in a very positive light in our democratic town government and in our school as well, and that people work effectively out of a sense of cooperative responsibility.
He said he wanted to come visit with a delegation and seemed to have a sense of urgency about the visit. We remarked that Guyana is a beautiful country and we are very glad to be here. He smiled and said, “You are close to Venezuela and it is equally beautiful.” Paranoia notwithstanding, it would be safe to say that he was working very assiduously at being personable, was more than casually interested in the project, and was definitely trying hard to sell us on Venezuela. We have no desire to live anywhere but in a black socialist nation, and Venezuelan jurisdiction is absolutely unacceptable to us!
We were told long ago by someone in the inner circles of government that Venezuela claims were a serious concern, the paramount concern to Guyana, and that problems with Surinam were secondary, perhaps even exaggerated as a means of diverting people’s attention away from subversive plans against our present government which we are devoted to completely. That would certainly be understandable. However, if Venezuela is truly an immediate or foreseeable concern then—arm us! We can defend your border with unmatchable determination, [illegible word] one hell of a crack force and are highly disciplined, so you need not fear us
(over)
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being trigger happy. We can fight like mad, and we’d damn sure give the Venezuelans one hell of a time if they were to come through this part of the country. What we need is the proper equipment to do the job. Give us clearance to get the advanced weaponry we can use to fight effectively. We are totally ill-equipped to resist an invading force at this time. It would be unrealistic to think that a regime with the vestiges of oligarchy would hesitate to invade Guyana at some time to annex disputed territory. Our loyalty to you is unshakeable and well proven and our life style clearly shows that we are peaceful and constructive. We are politically aware, more aware than you can imagine, and by nature are absolutely peaceful people. But we do not wish to see those whom we have pledged our lives to–our beloved comrade leader, and yourself, jeopardized in any way. This is our home and we are glad to be able to help defend its borders. I think I can stay without being immodest that you could not find a community more aware, more sensitive, nor more loyal–even among the youth and senior citizens.
We have another reason to be concerned about our border. Some time ago we wrote you about reliable information we received regarding a Venezuela military officer’s offer to aid a mercenary effort directed against us. This person would aid the political conspiracy by guiding mercenaries through the border. We do not know, of course, whether this inquisitive Venezuelan Colonel is connected with the mercenary effort, but the sense of urgency he imparted about his desire to “win us over” and visit the project makes us highly suspicious. We encountered too many undercover intelligence persons in the United States (and some here who were reported to us) not to be able to recognize their methods and approach. Do you want us to welcome this colonel and his delegation (he suggested some from the Venezuelan Embassy visiting us also) and tape record what they say while they are here? We will gladly do your bidding on this matter. Although this colonel made a posture of being friendly to socialist ideology (and perhaps he really is), we have seen too many deceptive newsmen in the U.S. use such a ploy to be taken in by verbal commitment alone. We are very careful about political conversations and are not foolish enough to be taken in by a person’s claim to support socialism alone.
Need for Security
Many of our people feel that we will never be given security. So if pressure from the U.S. comes, Guyana can wash their hands easily of Peoples Temple because no commitment has been made. We revere the Prime Minister and yourself and appreciate how you have treated our people but it seems at times on all matters, we are given a put-off treatment as if we are an inconvenient burden. So you can imagine the kind of long term effect that has on people’s morale. It is a miracle that people work hard and produce in every department everyday not knowing the future at all. We have met a lot of people who could not face death out of loyalty to anything or anybody. This applies to a lot of people in Guyana. But here you have a people who can face death over Venezuela and over the United States. But nobody can face being an island unto themselves. First it is assimilate and when you do that successfully, your wrists are slapped. Then when you face a conspiracy like the one Tim Stoen belongs to, night and day, it is just too much.
Trust us, as we have trusted you, as, for example, in the case of John, with verbal promises. We have been very honest to tell you that we cannot live
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without our community intact, with none of our people taken away. Fears and anxieties would be greatly allayed if, on some discreet level, you could give us a word that we need not worry about any of our people being removed by reactionary and racist elements in the U.S.A. As it is now, we are left up in the air about John Stoen.
And yet in terms of the conspiracy, things must be better, because of Bunny Mann’s reactions. He never calls and asks Paula Adams to be his houseguest unless things are getting better with the conspiracy, and that is what he did. That is our opinion unless he has some new trickeration in mind, but he doesn’t seem to be that sophisticated.
Bunny Mann and the District Attorney
Bunny Mann said to us in San Francisco that there were no problems with the District Attorney and that there wouldn’t be any investigation of Peoples Temple, and thus there wouldn’t be any problems for Peoples Temple. This statement came as a response to questions of our members in San Francisco to him if he will stand behind Peoples Temple. We don’t expect unqualified answers but when you are dealing with a conspiracy, even though they’ve manifactured no charges for a year, we don’t want our support based on that kind of statement about the District Attorney. We don’t understand in the first place why socialists would be concerned if the D.A. did not like socialists like Jim Jones. It should be understood that if the D.A. did attack socialists, which both Guyana and Jim Jones are, it should not come as a surprise. We have no information of the D.A. doing anything, but if he did, he would have to manufacture his charges. And we don’t like support for us to be conditional and linked to the D.A.’s mood.
Our Medical Services Hindered
I have to say at times it appears that there are people who seek to cause us difficulties, and in doing so, almost seem to be acting with deliberation, in a subversive way, to reflect on the government. This last week our medical practitioner, who is our licensed dispenser and not a registered nurse, as was mistakingly reported to you–(she is a woman who in the U.S. had been qualified to diagnose as well as prescribe and she is licensed in Guyana) went to the Port Kaituma dispensary to give medical services. In front of a large group of people waiting to see her expressly, she was told that she could no longer use the Port Kaituna facilities. The people waiting for treatment were very upset and shouted out that they would go to Jonestown, as it is known that we give topnotch care! We quickly said it was a miscommunication, a mix-up on a local level that in no way is a reflection on Comrade Leader or the government. The timing of such an incident nevertheless leads one to wonder if there were not some design in mind to try to reflect badly on the government, as our support for you is well-known.
Our medical services are a morale boost for Guyana. They take pressure off facilities in Georgetown by being able to help deliver healthy babies for the community and to save their lives, as well as the lives of others. An engineer, for instance, would have had to be flown in to Georgetown by emergency flight and then it would have probably been too late. He and his baby are Guyanese. He was going to stay by the child’s life to the end. So that would have been production loss. This kind of thing has been repeated dozens of times. So we have to take it up with you because Minister Green is out of town. Our services have done nothing but build popularity for the government.
(over)
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Our doctor was called the brightest of over 5,000 by Dr. Thain, the head of a large medical network of physicians in the U.S. Dr. Schacht has never had an unsuccessful surgery on our people. He is an excellent doctor but unfortunately cannot be utilized fully because one of our few basic requests are not being granted. We hope that can be worked out, for the benefit of the people in the area. The situation with the nurse practitioner is also nonsense. Last night, if our vehicle had not been notified by the gate and thus we were able to send out emergency equipment on our vehicle, the Guyanese baby would have died out on the road. The vehicle that was bringing the baby to Jonestown for treatment went off the road. Our vehicle went out to meet them, carrying emergency equipment and found they had gone off the road. Before we could get the baby back to the clinic another of our vehicles had to go back and get the man out of the ditch. Two lives were saved in just that one day.
We will pull back from Port Kaituma dispensary and their residents there can come out to Jonestown but it’s a grave mistake and also demoralizing. It is also inhumane to male people walk miles and miles when they are ill or when they require emergency care. Why is it that when we are being the most procutive, in areas we have the most to offer, obstacles are put in our way. And when we are the ones that are willing to travel the extra mile to give care, why would our government want to tell Guyanese people that they have to walk when they can be treated in comfort.
A New Medical Harassment
You may wonder why this letter goes on and. on stating various difficulties Peoples Temple is facing. We wonder the same thing. Why, when things just start to calm down, does someone take up the fight against Peoples Temple? We would like some response so we understand the kind of harassments we endure. We know it could not be with your sanction; but why isn’t it stopped. The following incident seems to be done with the express purpose of provication. Last Thursday at the local PNC meeting in Kaituma, District Minister Carmichael and Comrade Wyatt put Peoples Temple in a very embarrassing position and were very rude. Their behavior made us wonder what the goals are of some officials.
Again, our medical services were the main focus. They made fun of the medical condition of a Guyanese child who had been treated by Peoples Temple. The child, it seems, had something stuck in his nose, a seed or something. The child had great difficulty breathing. Carmichael and Wyatt showed total ignorance of medical matters in their sarcasm. The seed, the obstruction, could have gone into the lungs and caused pneumonia–a very difficult type of pneumonia to treat because it is not caused by bacteria and therefore will not respond to antibiotics. Carmichael and Wyatt minimized the condition and rediculed Peoples Temple by saying Peoples Temple exaggerated the gravity of the situation. They distorted the facts and made it appear as if Peoples Temple was saying that the seed would have gone to the brain, which would not have been said by us, as we have much more knowledge of anatomy and medicine than that. There was callousness in their attack as the father of the little child had rushed the child to Jonestown very late at night because the child was having difficulty breathing. The medical team at Jonestown removed the seed from the child and the child began to breath normally.
Not only did the two men embarrass and redicule Peoples Temple, but during the course of the PNC meeting, they also said that anyone who wanted to visit Jones-
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town could do so but they implied it would be risky (they actually said it flat out; it was much more than an implication). They also said they would no longer help to provide any transportation to anyone who wanted to visit Jonestown regardless of whether it was an emergency, no matter what. They said that if Carmichael thought it was necessary, he would provide transportation to Mathews Ridge, which as you know, is quite a distance away.
Carmichael said, “I am a long standing citizen of Guyana but you…” (and he left the rest unfinished, addressing our residents). This is a super nationalistic point of view and a very unsocialistic statement which in no way fits in with the very principled commitment of unity of all peoples that the Prime Minister and the party are upholding. Carmichael said this loudly right in the middle of the PNC meeting, which was very imappropriate.
I think it is very apparent that Carmichael is very jealous of Jonestown because many people like Jonestown and it is very popular. The attitude of these men is certainly not helpful to Guyana. It just gets Guyanese people all stirred up because they like us and appreciate the care we are giving, and it makes them angry. It looks as if Carmichael is just trying to play Peoples Temple against Guyana and vice versa. This is especially unkind as Peoples Temple has been getting alon[g] well lately in Guyana and the Prime Minister was very sociable to us when he was in Papaya. Peoples Temple always speaks highly of the Prime Minister of yourself and gives you the credit for the services we give. We have even spoke highly of Carmichael and Wyatt though Carmichael at times tries to hinder Jonestown’s activities.
Carmichael and Wyatt even ran down their Guyanese colleagues for not attending the recent PNC conference at Mathews Ridge. At the same time, Carmichael was very critical of Peoples Temple for bringing so many of our members to the conference in one vehicle. The jealousy and the pettiness of it all were very obvious. We have heard it said that Minister Hoyte does not like people who are not Guyanese. It doesn’t matter to him if they are socialists; he doesn’t care. The kind of attitude that Carmichael displayed and the attitude that Hoyte displays seem to be the pattern of Hoyte when people like Minister Green are away. With as skilled a medical team as we now have, it is a shame for us all to lose sight of the goal which is to meet the needs of the people. Case after case, which we can show you, can demonstrate to us the very professional medical care which is being given. But with this kind of response to services offered freely, willingly, and caringly, death would look nice compared to this.
Tim Stoen’s Threats
Tim Stoen gets more and more irrational. He said to a friend of his who told us what he said, “I have plenty of powerful friends and money and I will take care of Jim Jones” (this is the implication that mercenaries will carry this goal out). Tim Stoen wants to first try to get at our money through law suits. It has been verified that they will also try to use mercenaries. Tim Stoen is continually discovered in his líes and in his heinous plans. He and Grace Stoen claimed that they had reconciled and wanted John Stoen, but we have a photo we can show you of Grace and her boyfriend Smitty coming out of their home to go to work together.
Please, Dr. Reid, give serious consideration to our request for proper means of defense for the border of Guyana and in case of mercenary attack. Thank you for reading this letter.
(over)
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Cooperatively yours
/s/Sharon Amos
Comrade Sharon Amos
Administrative Assistant to Comrade Jim Jones
Peoples Temple Agriculture Project