There will be a special art display on Saturday 19 October at the Tri-Centennial Park when artists and the general public gather for an informal art project.
Local artist Suelin Low Chew Tung has undertaken a personal initiative to observe the 19 October 1983 atrocities by inviting artists and interested persons to bring a candle in a glass jar with a new label — a word or phrase or image — to suit the occasion.
“At dusk the lighted candles will form a memorial to the ones lost on the Fort in 1983, the ones still unaccounted for and the ones who remain behind,” she said. “If you have an extra candle/jar on hand bring that too — just in case someone else needs to add their thoughts on this day about this day.
“We tend to celebrate the 25th but there are at least two generations who may not know why we get the holiday in the first place. In the same way we light candles for our dead in November — on All Saints and All Souls nights — this event is a personal initiative — a way to pay respect to the souls lost and many still unaccounted for thirty years ago. No one has funded or paid me to do this. I just thought it was time that we as a nation marked this day and paid our respect,” she said.
“Tri-Centennial Park was constructed to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Town of Saint George. This candlelight event marks one day in that 300 year history. It’s not much to say we remember the ones lost on the fort, the ones still unaccounted for and the ones who remain behind.”
During Tuesday’s post Cabinet briefing, Foreign Affairs Minister announced that the Cabinet on Monday approved for flags to be flown at half mast both on 19 October and on 25 October in Observance of the October events.
On 19 October 1983 former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, several of his cabinet colleagues and other ordinary citizens lost their lives at Fort George as a result of internal conflict with the People’s Revolutionary Government while on 25 October 1983 the USA invaded the country and restored democracy.
Since then, 25 October is observed as Thanksgiving Day, while 19 October receives no similar official recognition.
