The APA has always been an independent, non-partisan entity

Mar 04, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) rejects Government Member of Parliament Alister Charlie’s recent attempt to discredit our organisation and the legitimate work we do advocating for Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Additionally, to link us to the political opposition is misleading, distasteful and untruthful.

The APA has always been and remains an independent, non-partisan entity committed to promoting and defending the rights of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples. In a letter published in the February 23, 2025, edition of the Kaieteur News, MP Charlie made several bold and unsupported accusations against the APA. This is nothing new, as this seems to be the government’s modus operandi of maligning the APA’s good work, a situation that has intensified recently. We question the intent of these attacks. Is it to silence civil society voices or independent Indigenous voices? Is it to distract from the fundamental policies and legislations that are still not being addressed?

The assertion that the APA is aligned with any political party is entirely false and aimed at maliciously discrediting our work. Our work, however, speaks for itself – advocating for constitutional reforms to address Indigenous rights, pushing for the revision of the Amerindian Act with successive government administrations to also address Indigenous Peoples’ rights, keeping the issue of mining and its adverse impacts on Indigenous communities in the forefront, and much more. Throughout its history, the APA has held successive governments accountable for inadequate policies and dubious actions impacting Indigenous communities.

Any claims that we have remained silent on issues affecting indigenous communities under previous administrations are deliberate distortions of the truth. On the contrary, MP Charlie remains silent on the substantive issues affecting Indigenous Peoples, including gender-based violence and sexual abuse. We remind the public that MP Charlie, who led a so called “high level” government team at a meeting in Chinese Landing in 2023 to listen to the people detailing the violation of their rights, remains silent on redress for the community that continues to, not only battle mining entities, but which has yet to see any significant help from the government that improves this situation. The APA remains steadfast in its support of the community.

Our advocacy is driven by the needs and concerns of our indigenous communities, not by political agendas, as MP Charlie falsely claims. We urge MP Charlie to present evidence that the APA endorses or aligns itself with any political party. As a body, the APA has never and will never endorse a political party or entity. On the other hand, as provided by our constitution, our members have the right to be a part of the political party of their choice. Anything else is to deny them that right. No one should be bullied or maligned because of their political choices. Instead of engaging in divisive rhetoric, MP Charlie’s focus should be on giving our people the space to air their concerns, to hear their recommendations, and to take positive actions for redress.

Contrary to the claim that we were silent on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into indigenous lands, our records show that the APA actively opposed its ToRs, recognizing it as a direct threat to indigenous land security. We mobilized communities, facilitated discussions, and called for transparency in the land titling process. Additionally, the APA has persistently raised concerns about the slow progress of land titling under multiple administrations, advocating for the rightful recognition of indigenous land tenure through transparent processes. The APA does not oppose development; rather we insist that development must respect FPIC and benefit our people. The accusations that we work against development initiatives such as the carbon credit program are misleading. Our stance has always been that Indigenous Peoples must be fully informed and involved in decision-making processes concerning their lands and resources.

The APA has raised legitimate concerns regarding the lack of transparency and insufficient consultation in implementing the carbon credit scheme. We will not be intimidated by attempts to discredit our work. We stand by our representation of Indigenous Peoples and their issues locally and internationally, and we will continue to represent our membership and indigenous rights violations in general, especially when “legitimate” bodies do not do so. True development must not come at the cost of Indigenous Peoples’ self-governance, and that is what the APA will continue advocating for. We refuse to be beaten down by the likes of MP Charlie, who has nothing to show for his self-proclaimed representation of Indigenous Peoples.

Regards, Mario Hasting
– APA President –
on behalf of the Executive Committee and Members

(The APA has always been an independent, non-partisan entity)

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• Amerindian Peoples Association, constitutional reforms, Kaieteur News, non-partisan

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