The entry of police and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soldiers into Kaikan Village, in Region Seven, has caused significant security and social problems, according to residents, who say women have been sexually assaulted and villagers have been threatened and intimidated, a recent study by the Amerindian Peoples Association’s (APA) into the land tenure situation of indigenous communities in the region has revealed.
Kaikan is a small village that has a population of approximately 72 households or 385 people, who are mostly Akawaio mixed with Waika and Arecuna, and the report says they are currently facing significant conflicts with police, soldiers, miners and Venezuelans occupying their traditional lands.
“The GDF had entered the village during border patrols and remained, claiming to be providing security for the airstrip. The village has complained over the years that women in the community have been sexually assaulted and that… soldiers have had relationships with married women, causing strife. Village residents additionally report being threatened and intimidated by soldiers when they try to protect their daughters from soldiers who come uninvited to their homes,” the report, which was recently launched, explained.