Residents of Yarakita, Region One, yesterday mounted a vocal protest against the attempted cremation of a MV Barima tragedy victim in their village, arguing that they had not been consulted and raising concerns about the potential health and environmental impacts.
During the confrontation, residents addressed Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Vanessa Benn, insisting that they would not allow the cremation to proceed.
One resident declared, “I don’t care if you have to lock me up. We are not allowing it.”
The resident argued that the proposed cremation site was located close to the community, expressing fears that smoke and ash could affect nearby residents, including children and the elderly, while also voicing concerns about possible contamination of the nearby river.
“Our young babies will be at risk. Our pensioners will be at risk. Our residents will be at risk,” the resident said, adding that the community had only learned of the planned cremation through a message from another resident rather than any official notification.
The protester maintained that the community had previously fought to protect its lands and insisted that residents should have been consulted before any such decision was made.
“If it’s wrong, it’s wrong… We said no. We are not allowing it,” the resident repeatedly declared as others echoed the objections.
According to information reaching Kiskadee Watch, the deceased was reportedly from Region Nine and not from Yarakita.
A source told Kiskadee Watch, “No, it wasn’t. The deceased person, I understand, is from Region Nine. The residents stopped it. They however said the pyre was alight; there was nobody on it.”
The source added that although a funeral pyre had reportedly been lit, no body had been placed on it before residents intervened.
Minister Benn reportedly assured the gathering that the matter would be rectified.
The circumstances surrounding why the cremation was arranged at Yarakita have not yet been officially explained.
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