The recent operation carried out at Quartz Stone in Region Seven by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Geo-logy and Mines Commission (GGMC) was an enforcement activity intended to clear the area of illegal miners, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman says.
Additionally, GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison has denied allegations that personal property of persons at the site was burnt, while saying that following the dismantling of some structures, the area was “sanitised of litter.”
“I was unaware of the enforcement operation yesterday until persons contacted me. In the normal course of operations, the GPF and GGMC are forced to clear areas of illegal mining and illegal activity. Yesterday’s operation was one such activity and in fact a wanted man is believed captured,” Trotman told Stabroek News yesterday when contacted.
A Facebook post, which originated from an online entity claiming to represent the “Guyanese people”, alleged that the Government of Guyana, through the GGMC, evicted a number of small businesses at the Quartz Stone landing.
Specifically, it claimed that the Com-mission dismantled and burned “business owners’ property leaving only Minister Brooms [sic] camp.”
Dennison explained that over 30 operations at the location were illegal and his agency’s personnel did not destroy their property. He said that the miners were told that the area would be cleaned and they were given notice and time to leave the location and were even helped with the move by the GGMC.
When the moving was completed, he said, the “litter” was burned.
Persons who posted the allegations claimed that hundreds of Guyanese are now jobless and stranded at the landing as they have no money to pay for transportation out of the backdam.
“There’s no way for them to come to the city to seek refuge as many of them lived at the Quartz Stone location almost their entire life. With food supplies they had in their shop almost depleted as the GGMC officials seized whatever stock they had in the shop and night fast approaching with nowhere to camp tonight the citizens are pleading on Human Rights organizations to send help,” the post went on to claim.
The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on Monday had issued a statement saying it had “no prior knowledge” nor involvement in the activity and was baffled that the social media outlet would indicate such.
The release pointed out that Trotman had requested an urgent and detailed explanation from GGMC regarding its alleged involvement in this operation.
“The MNR strongly advises against the issuing of such statements seeking to impugn the standing of the Ministry and the Government of Guyana both of which are committed to working with the citizens of the country in the most peaceful way possible to achieve the visions for the natural resources sector,” the statement added.
