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Video of Guyanese miner assault… Two Russians arrested, firearms confiscated
A screen shot of the video, which shows the Russian cuffing a Guyanese miner.
Just days after a video was circulated on social media of Russian security personnel who are employed by West Bank Demerara Gold Inc, assaulting a Guyanese miner and drawing a gun on him, two Russian nationals have been arrested and their firearms confiscated. They are assisting police with investigations.
The video sparked an investigation by Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), and now the Guyana Police Force. It allegedly shows a Guyanese being confronted by two Russian. The foreigners were wearing pants resembling military fatigue and ordinary jerseys, and both men were armed with handguns.
The Guyanese was telling the Russians that he was not working for them and did not have to show them anything. This seemed to be because the Russians felt that the man was working in the wrong area.
The Russian then punched the Guyanese and the Guyanese attempted to respond in kind, but the Russian drew his handgun.
The video sparked a debate on social media that saw Guyanese expressing dissatisfaction about how foreigners are treating Guyanese. The video was then followed by photos of what is presumed to be a Guyanese miner who was kidnapped and tortured in a mining camp somewhere in the interior of Guyana, with suggestions that this was done by the same Russians.
The photos showed a male handcuffed to an overhead rafter, and left in a standing position. This sparked even more anger. But so far, no one had been able to identify the individual who was assumed kidnapped and tortured.
Reports are that the Guyanese who were affected worked for a miner named Shawn Hopkinson.
The Ministry of Natural Resources responded on Tuesday by issuing a statement. “The Ministry has noted with deep concern and strong consternation a video circulating on social media, which appears to show a confrontation at a mining location between an alleged foreigner and Guyanese miner.
“The video clearly shows that the alleged foreigner is armed with a firearm and behaving in an aggressive, hostile and condescending manner towards the man who appears to be a Guyanese national.”
On Thursday the Guyana Police Force through its Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan, issued a statement saying, “The Guyana Police Force wishes to inform the general public that following the circulation of a video on social media of a confrontation and assault of a Guyanese by two foreign nationals, a thorough investigation has been launched.
“As such, the Police Investigative Team from Headquarters received much needed assistance from a miner who ferried the ranks to Quart Stone, Cuyuni, where the incident allegedly occurred. The two foreign nationals in question, one of whom allegedly assaulted a ranger employed in a private capacity, are in custody and assisting with the investigation.”
In a strongly worded statement, the National Mining Syndicate of Guyana (NMS) said, “This latest incident of foreign nationals violating the rights of Guyanese and breaking the laws of this land on our home soil is a sad development which seems to be gaining momentum with no recourse for our peoples. It also adds to long list of similar transgressions in other parts of our country, both in the past and to date.”
The (NMS) also called on the relevant agencies such as the Department of Labour, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Public Security, Citizenship and Natural Resources to immediately look into the latest development.
When this publication reached out to local miners, many of which wished not to be named, for fear of reprisal, they painted a lawless picture of what has been transpiring in the interiors of Guyana, as it relates to land raiding.
One man claimed that the Authorities seem ill-equipped to deal with a growing trend of Foreigners ripping off Guyana of its natural resources, while Guyanese have to take what meager pickings are left.
Up to press time the two Russians were still in police custody assisting with investigations.
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