“WE WANT WE LEADER”

Campaign to Recover the Remains of the Slain Grenadian Leaders

The remains of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and others were seized by the US forces and have not been returned to their families

Timeline – briefing document published

On the 25th October 2020 the Committee for Human Rights in Grenada – UK (CHRG-UK), supported by Grenada – Forward Ever and Caribbean Labour Solidarity, launched a campaign to recover the remains of the slain leaders of the Grenada Revolution.  They were killed on Fort Rupert, St Georges, Grenada on the 19^th of October 1983. Their bodies were recovered and retained by the US forces that invaded the country a few days later.  Since then there has been no information as to the whereabouts of the remains.  It is strongly believed that the remains are in the possession of the US Government.

Under the title “WE WANT WE LEADER” the Zoom launch meeting pledged to campaign to recover the remains.  The campaign involves all seeking closure for the families of the slain; a decent burial for the deceased; and peace for the Grenadian people.

To do this CHRG-UK, their allies and others will provide resources to assist the campaigners.  These will include template letters to others interested in supporting the campaign, key people of note, politicians, religious persons and others who could influence those in power.

Attached below is an information booklet entitled Timeline, by Noreen and Alan Scott of CHRG-UK.  Timeline provides details of the US Army’s recovery of the bodies of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and the others killed alongside him.  This will equip supporters with the knowledge of what really happened in Grenada on the 19^th of October 1983.

Summary of Timeline

In March – April 2018 Bernard Coard held a number of public meetings in England to promote his first book, The Grenada Revolution: What Really Happened?A frequent question from the audiences was what had happened to the remains of Maurice Bishop and other individuals executed on Fort Rupert in October 1983. Bernard could not state the final resting place of the remains because neither he nor any other member of the Peoples Revolutionary Government of Grenada knew this information.  This information led at times to bitter frustration for the audience.

CHRG-UK researched what had happened to the remains, and the initial findings were published in a pamphlet which is available online at the website: http://grenada-forwardever.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Booklet.pdf.

In producing the pamphlet, CHRG-UK relied heavily on the excellent research carried out by the Young Leaders of Presentation Brothers College in 2000 and 2002.  The students were shocked that their research revealed that there was a plot to hide the whereabouts of the remains of Maurice Bishop and the others by the US Government. Although they produced a detailed report of their findings, it was not widely circulated in Grenada and there is evidence that its circulation was suppressed.

We also relied on evidence given to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up by Prime Minister Mitchell, see https://www.thegrenadarevolutiononline.com/trcreport.html,which concluded that the bodies were in the possession of the US forces, an affidavit sworn for the Privy Council hearing in 2006 by the Peoples Revolutionary Army of Grenada (PRA) soldier initially responsible for taking the bodies to the Camp Fedon PRA base in Calivigny, Grenada and extracts from various media sources.

For further details please contact the Committee for Human Rights in Grenada – UK at chrguk@sky.com.

Download Timeline from here http://grenada-forwardever.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2021-06-07-Timeline.pdf.

Launch of “WE WANT WE LEADER” campaign

In October 1983 the United States invaded Revolutionary Grenada. They seized the bodies of Maurice Bishop and others who had been killed with him a few days earlier. These they took away.  Despite numerous calls, over the years, from the families of the slain, the Grenadian public, Governments, religious and community leaders, the American Government has refused to return the remains.

The US administration’s refusal to act led us to launch a campaign to force them to explain what they did to the remains of the Grenadian leaders and to return these so that they can be given a proper and dignified burial.

On the 25th October 2020 the Committee for Human Rights in Grenada – UK (CHRG-UK), supported by Grenada – Forward Ever and Caribbean Labour Solidarity, launched a campaign to recover the remains of the slain leaders of the Grenada Revolution. 2021 06 07 – Timeline The launch involved a wide range of prominent figures from across the globe who supported the call for a recovery and repatriation of the remains of Grenada’s slain leaders.  The Zoom attendees fully endorsed the actions mentioned in the first part of this post.

We need your help

Sound research has been carried out in Grenada and in the UK into what happened to the bodies of Maurice Bishop and others, we now need as many Grenadians, other concerned persons and organisations as possible to put pressure on the government of Grenada and the US to seek the return of their remains.  This will enable their families and those who care to organise a proper burial and erect a lasting memorial.  Please see above.