The village of Chinese Landing in Region One yesterday said that it looked forward to working with the Government of Guyana on the protective measures which were requested for the community by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
A statement by the village council follows:
Statement on IACHR Chinese Landing Precautionary Measures Resolution on behalf of the village
We, the Village Council of Chinese Landing, are happy that an international human rights body has intervened to address the gross violations of our rights being committed against us. On July 21, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued precautionary measures in our favor, requesting that the Government of Guyana take measures to ensure that our rights are protected.
For decades, Chinese Landing has been dealing with the invasion of miners on our legally titled lands with little to no redress from those in power. In recent years, this illegal incursion onto our lands has turned violent, with acts of violence and threats of violence being committed against us. At the same time, mining activities have massively expanded, threatening our environment and our health. The struggles of Chinese Landing and its people are well-documented in the local and international press.
We finally feel heard and seen that the IACHR recognises that our community is in “a serious and urgent situation” regarding the mining operations happening within village boundaries. We know that the concessions granted to Mr. Wayne Vieira violate the rights of Chinese Landing residents, and because of our objections, we continue to be threatened and intimidated by the miners working on Mr. Vieira’s concessions. We are told to stay away, that it is not our land, which we know to be untrue. We feel unsafe even passing through the concessions to the other side to farm, hunt and fish and to visit our families.
The IACHR resolution highlights the need for urgent action to protect our rights, including our right to control our territory, and provides a roadmap to avoid irreparable harm and resolve the problems identified in the report. We join the IACHR in encouraging the Government to take concrete actions to end the environment of fear and intimidation brought about by these mining operations. We call on the Government of Guyana to take the necessary steps to implement these recommendations in direct consultation with Chinese Landing.
The IACHR has requested that Guyana:
1. Take the necessary measures to protect the rights to life and personal integrity of the members of Chinese Landing with a cultural, gender-based, and age-appropriate perspective to prevent threats, harassment, and other acts of violence against our village;
2. Consult and agree upon the measures to be adopted with our Village Council and community members;
3. Report on the actions taken to investigate the events that led to the adoption of this precautionary measure so as to prevent such events from reoccurring.
We look forward to working with the Government towards implementation of the Commission’s recommendations. We expect that the Government will seek to visit our community as the Commission has requested, and we are glad the Government has sought our permission to do so. We met as a Council immediately upon receiving the government’s letter (dated July 28) proposing a visit to prepare with the advice of legal counsel, and we informed the Government on July 29 that August 2-3 is an appropriate time for this visit.
We have also requested that the government team indicate what authority they have from relevant state bodies so that we can be assured that the team visiting the village is authorised to take the measures necessary to implement the IACHR’s recommendations.
We hope that this meeting can start the process of agreeing on and adopting steps for the long-term protection and safety of the community.