The Guyana Human Rights AssociAtion believes that the current approach adopted by the Government and the National Toshaos Council (NTC) in the case of Chinese Landing in Region One and mining concerns is unacceptable, and continues to lend to the violation of the rights of the Indigenous residents there by miners.

 In a strongly worded statement, GHRA said the shocking declaration by the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai that there is nothing Government can do, is an affront to the Amerindian Act, which was brought into effect to protect the rights of the Indigenous people, and guard against abuse by miners.

It said that the Government has suddenly become helpless.

“Official ‘helplessness’ is further aggravated by the institutionalized hypocrisy of the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) which has a revolving door relationship with leading miners and whose ‘investigative missions’ and legal actions against errant miners are nothing more than a charade,” the human rights body said.

It questioned why the original license issued in 1995 was renewed following the passage of the Amerindian Act.

It further pointed out that Article 14 of the Act is equally clear in empowering Village Council as the local law-making authority with respect to the conduct of people in the community, including the 500-odd miners.

“These powers include by-laws relating to environmental destruction, pollution of streams, savannah and creeks and mercury poisoning of fishing grounds – all of which are alleged to be widespread and a proven health hazard to members of the community. All these abuses provide extensive grounds for a range of interventions from Ministries and Agencies to support the community,” GHRA said.

It said it would appear that the Government has not learnt anything from Baramita, the other Carib community in Region One, which was decimated socially and environmentally a decade ago by mining interests and coast-landers settlers.

It said while the Amerindian Affairs Minister was declaring her inability to act, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh was announcing a range of measures intended to bring relief to operators within the Mining Industry such as the reduction of final tax from a maximum of 3.5 percent to 2.5 percent and removal of the 10 percent Tributors’ tax among other measures.

“These financial measures are intended to divert attention from the dangerous, uncertain and accident-riddled conditions under which small miners operate. Murky licensing arrangements are grossly unfair and ensure quality lands are reserved for the coterie of miners, friends and foreigners who control the industry. In other words, Government inaction with respect to mining is consistent with a national policy of monetizing natural resources for the benefit of the highest bidders,” it said.

It noted too that the 2030 Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) is also silent on the environmental and social cost of mining.

“Money-making from mining cannot be justified in terms of the national interest, the public purse nor in the interest of the majority of citizens,” it iterated.

GHRA said too that the equally timid response of the NTC to the appeals of the Toshao of Chinese Landing is a clear indication that the Council has been stripped of its independence by ruling party.

“Rather than promote the NTC as the official voice of Guyana’s First Peoples, the organization is being reduced to the role of a government cheer-leader. The very opposite trend is what the nation requires,” the organisation said.

It said local and international bodies can do more to help to protect the rights of the indigenous residents of Chinese Landing.

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