The imposition of more stringent measures by indigenous leaders in their respective communities since the first case of the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was confirmed in Region Nine has resulted in conflict between village leaders and the Rupununi Miners Association.
The Regional Executive Officer (REO) of the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region Carl Parker explained that persons need to pass through a number of indigenous communities in order to access mining lands in the Deep South Rupununi. He noted that since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Guyana, many indigenous leaders had taken the initiative to impose a number of restrictions on their respective communities. He said that particularly in the South Rupununi area, leaders have erected gates and checkpoints at the entrances of their communities to control traffic in the villages.
These restrictions have been causing “hardships” for many persons, especially the miners. This has resulted in conflict between indigenous leaders of the South Rupununi and the Rupununi Miners Association. Parker noted that the leaders have decided to impose more stringent measures on their communities while disregarding the fact that mining was deemed an essential service by the Ministry of Public Health, which has also imposed nationwide restrictions on the country.
Parker further stated that the fact that miners have no choice but to pass through indigenous communities in order to reach mining lands has caused a stir within several indigenous communities especially since it was revealed that the region’s first coronavirus patient, who is a miner, went into a number of indigenous villages in the South Rupununi. “Amerindians would have lock down their villages but if you checked that the Amerindian Act of 2006, section 9(2) states that village council and any resident of a village shall not obstruct the lawful passage of any persons through village lands. So locking down and preventing persons from passing through the land is illegal and any activity that they are undertaking to prevent the spread of COVID has to be done in the laws of Guyana,” he added.
Additionally, he stated that on May 19, he met with a team from the National Toshaos Council including its chairman, Nicholas Fredericks, who is also the Toshao of Shulinab. Parker revealed that participants of the meeting included Vincent Henry, who is a community development officer attached to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MoIPA). Both the region and the NTC, he said, raised concerns and the leaders acknowledged the provisions of the Amerindian act mentioned but highlighted a few issues of their own.
“They, too, have some concerns of their own, which I think is legitimate, in the fact that miners passing through their communities ought not to stop. But then how do we control that given the fact that these villages are sprawling and there are shops along the way in the villages and miners will, invariably while passing through those villages, stop at shops to buy a few beers and food supplies in an effort to support these villages?” he asked.
Parker added that he has arranged a meeting between the executive body of the Rupununi Miners Association and the NTC along with several toshaos from the South Rupununi.
He said he hopes they can discuss the issue while looking for amicable solutions. However, he added, all the toshaos will be told that they cannot block government roads and the miners will have to be held accountable for their actions. “The toshaos will be told that they cannot block the main roads, which are government roads in any case but we have to come to a compromise somewhere along the line and the Rupununi Miners’ executive body will have to take responsibility for the actions of their members,” Parker stated.
The REO added that the region will be supporting the various indigenous communities in establishing checkpoints and will be distributing thermometers once they agree to keep their gates open between 6 am and 6 pm. “That is still to be decided on … We will discuss that at our Regional Health Emergency Committee (RHEC) meeting and then when the two sides reach we will further discuss it there and hope that the two teams can come to an amicable solution to the various issues affecting both sides. Of course the region and the MoIPA will be avid tutors in this discussion,” he added.
Two Mondays ago, the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Region Nine. The patient was identified as Hamlett DaSilva, a resident of Brazil, which has since been named the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the Americas.
On Saturday, the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) renewed its called for mining practices to be halted so as to minimise the spread of the coronavirus while noting the ease with which DaSilva accessed several villages in the South Rupununi before he was diagnosed with the respiratory disease.
“The South Rupununi District Council… the representative institution of the 21 communities in the South Rupununi, expresses grave concern over the undermining of Village Councils’ efforts to keep the deadly COVID-19 out of our villages, particularly by the continuous influx of miners into our villages en route to the Wakadanao and Marudi gold mines and also business people from Georgetown. We find this to be disrespectful and a violation of our right to safeguard the wellbeing and health of our people. We are very concerned that persons coming in can bring undetected cases of the Coronavirus into the mining areas which can then spread into our villages. Additionally, it was stated that persons have continuously given wrong information to persons stationed at the checkpoint in order to gain access to the villages.
“We therefore again repeat our urgent request for support in this cause by the Government and relevant agencies to protect our people and to minimize the infiltration and spread of COVID-19 into Wapichan communities. In particular, we demand that mining be halted for the duration of the public health crisis and that our authority to monitor entry and access into our territory be respected,” a press release issued by the SRDC had stated.
