Guyana submits response to UN over rights abuse claims by Chinese landing residents

Jul 18, 2022 News

Participants engaged during the recently concluded NTC

Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana said it has submitted a “document” to the United Nations (UN) responding to allegations of abuse being meted out to Amerindians. The Government had up to July 15 to respond to allegations of human rights violations taking place in some Indigenous hinterland communities.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira provided an update Thursday; stating that the document was being finalized to be delivered to the agency.
Minister Teixeira told the Kaieteur News that the UN had raised a number of areas with the government including the Chinese Landing contention. “And we have a deadline to do that.” She told the newspaper that even as the government was putting together its response to the UN, the matter had been raised at the National Toshao’s Conference (NTC), with the President and Natural Resource Minister Vickram Bharrat giving responses in the Toshao’s meeting.

Teixeira confirmed the government making the deadline but did not divulge its contents. “We are sending a document to the UN as required but I am not telling you the content,” she told the newspaper.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UN CERD) in an April last letter to the government said that it was concerned, and urgently needed the administration to reply to allegations of rights violations in the indigenous communities of Chinese Landing and the Wapichan people.

The letter had stated that the international agency regretted the government’s failure to address the matters that were earlier reported. The Wapichan People of south west Rupununi Region 9 and the Chinese Landing residents of Region One face various issues including illegal mining on ancestral lands, environmental damage and in some cases intimidation by “illegal” occupants.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukai told the Kaieteur News Thursday, that there had been some intervention into the Chinese Landing matter despite claims that the government had taken a passive approach to addressing the issue. Sukai told the newspaper that prior to the Chinese Landing residents taking the issue of illegal mining in their community to court, the community’s Toshao and Councilors had met with government ministers regarding the matter.

She explained that there was some intervention where she and the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat met with village representatives in a full meeting. Prior to that, the minister said, councilors also met with agents of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

“We assured them that we would work with them to resolve the matter but they didn’t allow the process to conclude,” the minister claimed. She said that before the necessary action, which encapsulated the relevant agencies investigating and taking the steps, the matter was taken to court by the residents.

Chinese Landing Toshao Orin Fernandes told Kaieteur News Friday, that prior to the close of the NTC held last week; he was able to briefly meet with Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat who committed to the matter being addressed. He explained to the newspaper that certain actions are supposed to be taken by the ministry and relevant agencies in response to the illegal occupation of their lands for mining.

As other violation reports surfaced, including accusations of labour exploitation, Indigenous Leaders were told to ensure certain steps are taken to prevent their people from being taken advantage of. During his delivery at the NTC, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton told village leaders to ensure that contracts are signed between employers and the persons they employ from their communities to ensure they are not exploited. “I know a burning issue in villages…” the minister stated in a government information report.

“There are contractors, loggers and miners going to villages and taking people out to work, and in a lot of instances they are not paid.” The Minister related that lawyers can visit indigenous communities to teach the village councilors how to draft simple contracts to guard against exploitation. There are also labour officers in the different regions who can assist persons with the various labour-related matters, he continued.

“We can only act if there is a contractual agreement between the aggrieved employee and the employers,” the minister informed. He told Toshaos that they have a responsibility to their villages, “and therefore, when people come into the village to hire people to take them wherever, you should ensure that a contract is established.”