Proposed mining activities not within titled lands of Amerindians
--Amerindian Affairs Minister
Guyana Chronicle
August 26, 2004
GINA - Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues, in an exclusive interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), has stated that the proposed mining activities to take place in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) will not be done within Amerindian titled lands.
The Minister, noting the recent meeting of Toshaos of the Region and facilitated by the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), referred to some of the statements made during the meeting as "inaccurate and, in some cases, totally untrue".
Ms Rodrigues explained that as it relates to mining in those areas, it has been acknowledged that residents suffer discomfort and that Government, as well as the GGMC, held several meetings with communities to deal with the issue of unscrupulous miners. However, the Minister pointed out that in many of the villages, communities gave permission to miners to carry out operations.
She said that the Ministry in the past received several complaints from Toshaos, not involved in mining activities, about the effect mining was having on their villages. As a result, in March 2003, the Ministry, along with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Commissioner of GGMC, Mr Robeson Benn, held a meeting with the communities to discuss the problem.
The Minister stated that during that meeting, several agreements were reached between the communities and the officials. One agreement stipulated that Government would facilitate the training of Mines Officers from those communities to monitor mining activities and that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study would be done before such activities continued. The subject of benefit-sharing for communities also arose during discussions.
Rodrigues firmly stated that the proposed mining activities cannot be done in Amerindian titled lands or in the rivers passing through titled lands since the State retains the right to the rivers.
According to the Minister, even though mining will not be done within titled lands, it was agreed by the Toshaos, the GGMC and Government that 7 per cent of all declared gold from mining areas would go into a fund for the communities.
"One-third is to be for community development, one-third for enterprise development and one-third for administration with the rangers and so on," she said.
The Amerindian Affairs Minister pointed out that the money would go towards a consolidated fund, which would be passed to the community.
"This has never happened in our country before," she said, further recalling that Government had stopped mining in Amerindian communities without the permission of villages since 1995.
Referring to the statement made during the recent meeting of Toshaos that Government is planning to place ten dredges on the river from Paruima to another area, the Minister said that this is totally untrue.
"And to say that Government is not addressing issues with the communities is inaccurate since Government has already met several of its commitments agreed upon, including training Mine Rangers and completing the EIA," she said.
Government is in the process of working with the GGMC to complete employment contracts for the Rangers.
Rodrigues stated that several of the Toshaos are being dishonest and seem to have their own agenda, which is not in the best interest of their communities. She cited an example, noting that after meeting with the communities and the decision was taken not to get into mining deals until the EIA and Mines Rangers were trained, that the Toshaos of Warawatta and Jawalla went into agreements with two miners before the training programme was completed.
"It was illegal for them to do that because they do not have subsurface rights and the dredges were cutter-head ones. I was shocked," she said.
Ms Rodrigues said that Government has not been making promises to Amerindians as is being circulated in the media, but that decisions were made after several months of discussion with the communities.
She noted, however, referring to the facilitators of the recently held meeting, that as soon as development begins to take place, certain groups begin to create mischief to hinder this.
"They will soon have to review their tactics because it is not bringing benefits to these communities," she concluded.
In his address at the opening of the recent Mining Week exhibition, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds had said the Revision of the Amerindian Act would include a new law which stipulates that 'while reserving subsurface rights in the hands of the State, no subsurface rights will be granted by the State within the boundaries of Amerindian villages without the approval of the Amerindian village', and that "standard procedures and contracts are to be presented, for mining within the boundaries of Amerindian villages'. (Government Information Agency)