Amerindians being misled by PPP over lands CoI – Ministerial Advisor

Apr 12, 2017 News

Ministerial Advisor to the Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mervyn Williams, on Monday registered his concerns over the apparent condemnation of the President-ordered Lands Commission of Inquiry (CoI) by several

Ministerial Advisor to the Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mervyn Williams.

Region One (Barima/Waini) residents.
Williams said that his source of concern is that Amerindians are being misled by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
On Sunday, a release was disseminated to several media houses which stated that 800 Amerindians from more than 13 villages unanimously passed a motion at the Mabaruma Sub-Region District Conference of the PPP/C, reportedly joining with several organisations condemning the establishment of the CoI which aims “to examine all issues and uncertainties surrounding the claims of Amerindian land titling, the individual, joint and communal ownership of lands acquired by freed Africans and any other matters relative to land titling would be for public welfare”.
According to the release, the delegates and observers at the conference viewed the establishment of this COI as an “expression of gross disrespect to the Amerindian People of Guyana and indeed, Indigenous people everywhere.”
“They view this initiative as a vulgar and divisive device to distort our history, deny Amerindians their rightful place as the first people of this land and to deprive them of their ancestral legal entitlements to traditional lands recognized long before independence and which successive PPP Governments committed billions of dollars towards ensuring that land titles were issued to the Amerindians for these lands.” The release stated.
Further, the release stated that the Commission was established without any consultations.
“The delegates and observers unanimously resolved not to recognize this Commission and are calling upon the President and the Government of Guyana, to rescind it immediately.
“Amerindian entitlements to traditional land must not be and cannot be confused with the rights of any other ethnic groups. They are separate issues and must remain so.”
Williams told Kaieteur News yesterday that the CoI was ordered by President, David Granger, and the Ministry is not in a position to pronounce on works of the commission.
Williams said that the Ministry would have been provided with the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the CoI and from that, the Ministry sees nothing that speaks to the depriving of lands.
He noted also that the Ministry has representation on the Commission in the person of David James, the Legal Advisor to the Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs and another representative.
Williams said that he is confident that the Commission will – when it feels necessary— pronounce or make the relevant ‘clarifications’ as it relates to purpose of the Commission; and what it hopes to achieve.
He added that the ‘misinformation’ being peddled is an attempt being made by the General Secretary of the PPP, Bharrat Jagdeo, to get ‘political mileage’.
“We express sympathy…Sympathy because our brothers and sisters were misled. By being misled, they came to a conclusion resulting in that statement. But they have not faulted. The person, whom they consider to be honourable, faulted. This is sensitive issue…There needs to be constructive engagements. The Ministry rejects out of hand the misinformation, “ Williams said.
The Ministerial Advisor said that the Ministry has embarked on a programme which will, amongst other things, bring clarity to the issue.