Gail Teixeira wants Eric Phillips removed from this position

Mar 29, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I write concerning a letter which was published in your newspaper of March 14, 2016 captioned “We slaved for Guyana; we must have our lands”by Mr. Eric Phillips on behalf of the Guyana Reparations Committee.
Given the mandate of the Guyana Reparations Committee and what seems to be a dangerous evolution of it, coupled with the silence of the Government on this naked insult directed at Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples, I cannot allow this letter to go unanswered. In the first instance, the public may be interested in knowing what is the Guyana Reparations Committee, CARICOM Heads of Government made a decision in 2013 to pursue the former European colonial powers to make reparations for slavery and native (Indigenous) genocide, since their economic advancement and growth was predicated on Indigenous genocide and more than 200 years of slavery.
Reparation for Indigenous Genocide also forms part of the mandate of the Guyana Reparations Committee which Mr. Eric Phillips heads.  The draft Notice of Complaint by CARICOM which I have seen, indicates the following “The Member States of the Caribbean Community therefore invite the United Kingdom [[XX] other states] to enter into constructive dialogue and negotiations to identify specific and concrete ways in which these issues can be resolved to ensure that the legacies of slavery and indigenous genocide are comprehensively addressed.”
As CARICOM proceeded with preparing its case against the former colonial masters, all CARICOM countries were required to establish National Reparations Committees to research and to assist in compiling the CARICOM dossier. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport established the Guyana Reparations Committee in 2013 and Mr. Phillips was made its Chairperson. Guyana was supposed to submit its research compilation in 2014 to the CARICOM Reparations Commission which was coordinating and compiling the single CARICOM position.
I am certain that had the then Government known that Eric Phillips was undermining the position of Indigenous Peoples, not only in Guyana but in the CARICOM region, who he was appointed to represent by virtue of the mandate of the Reparations Commission, his removal would have been swift.
l wish to assure Mr. Phillips that we, Guyanese,  have not forgotten these facts nor the “crime against humanity” that the former Europeans colonizers committed on African people throughout Guyana, the “New World,” and Africa by the slave trade and slavery. We support the CARICOM in opening up constructive dialogue with the former European colonizers and their present day governments on reparations and compensation for slavery, indigenous genocide and indentureship. He should be aware that the argument for reparation for slavery could stand on its own merit without denying the right of Amerindian peoples to their lands, or any other people in Guyana who have made this country their home.
However, it is absolutely disingenuous, dangerous and divisive to now use that very argument to opportunistically draw twisted conclusions, in what appears to be an effort of dividing our country, and denying Indigenous Peoples what they rightfully deserve.
Mr. Editor, what is even more disturbing about Phillips’ submission is that he chose to omit any aspect of the arguments being put forward on behalf of Indigenous Peoples by the CARICOM Reparations Commission. Mr. Phillips’ letter is replete with inaccuracies and contrived “facts.” He denies by exclusion that the PNC (now APNUAFC) that was in government close to three decades did not only fail to address the concerns of African land in the free villages/plantations purchased by the emancipated Africans, but, in fact, passed the worst piece of legislation which took away the last vestiges of these lands, especially the communal lands in those villages and placed them under the control of the newly formed Regional Democratic Councils. He must now say to the people how this historic PNC legislation, Act No. 12 of 1980, still in existence, made the most and final doubýle-edged contribution to the disposal/transfer to the state of these village lands!
Mr. Phillips’ utterly outrageous claim that Amerindian Land Titling will be completed by October this year becomes even more sinister, when he is fully cognizant that one of the first ethno-political acts of this new Granger-led Administration was the dismissal of the UNDP accredited staff of the Amerindian GRIF Land Titling project as soon as it took office in May 2015. Thus the ALT was completely stalled for almost a year. We have also noted that the government refusal to acknowledge any wrong doing escaped sanctions by the UNDP.
With one swoop of his pen Mr. Phillips denies that indigenous genocide occurred in Guyana before the advent of slavery and further he denies the historical, archeological and anthropological evidence that large groups of Amerindian peoples fled from the coastland which they had inhabited to seek refuge in the far hinterland where they would be beyond the reach of the colonizers.
Mr.Phillips’ reluctance to do research is understandable as the facts would bring his thesis crumbling to the ground. He ignores the hard work and efforts of thousands of Afro-Guyanese who own land and produce sugar, rice, livestock, provisions, as well as own small and medium businesses throughout this nation and contribute to the national economy. In fact, his thesis denigrates all Guyanese.
But strange why was he happy to chair the Guyana Reparations Committee since 2013 for a government who he claims was responsible for such transfers of state wealth to its “ethnic support base” at the detriment of Afro-Guyanese? The fact that Mr. Phillips has now changed the objective and mandate of the Committee and has unleashed an internal attack on other ethnic groups should concern everyone, more so, because he is now an Adviser to the President of Guyana.
It has been close to two weeks since this despicable letter—with a sequel—was published and there has been no reaction from the Government disassociating itself from it.  It is therefore a case of urgency that the Government of Guyana, explain to the Guyanese people, more particularly the Indigenous people, whether this letter is a reflection of the APNUAFC government’s position and intention.
It is also pellucidly clear that Eric Phillips cannot represent the descendants of those who suffered Indigenous genocide given his expressed opinions of negative bias against Indigenous peoples. Further he denigrates all ethnic groups in this multi-cultural and multi-ethnic nation with his jaundiced and prejudiced agenda to sow ethnic division and discord. The President must therefore remove him forthwith from this Committee.  Indigenous Peoples and Guyana as a whole deserve no less. CARICOM deserves no less.
Gail Teixeira, M.P.,
Chief Whip Parliamentary Opposition

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