The Government is not considering suspending mining activities in the Chinese Landing area, with Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat describing the latest developments as “criminal in nature, not mining related”, as the Toshao, residents and miners trade accusations following a violent confrontation on Thursday.
Bharrat made the comment to Kiskadee Watch yesterday when asked whether the Government would intervene to suspend mining activities in the area until the longstanding issues between the community and miner Wayne Vieira are resolved.
The minister’s position comes in the face of calls for Government intervention after Chinese Landing Toshao Nikita Miller and several residents said they sustained injuries during a confrontation involving Vieira’s mining operations on November 12.
Miller has alleged that she and residents were assaulted by the miner and members of his crew after villagers attempted to prevent an excavator from entering the community’s titled lands through neighbouring Kariako. She said shots were fired over the heads of residents and that her cellphone and licensed firearm were taken.
The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), in a statement issued yesterday, said the incident represented an escalation of years of intimidation and threats.
The organisation said Miller was dragged through mud, had her clothes torn and was assaulted while attempting to protect the community. It called on Amerindian Affairs Minister Sarah Browne-Shadeek to lead a team, including the Ministers of Home Affairs and Natural Resources and representatives of the Guyana Police Force, to visit the village and address residents’ concerns.
However, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has presented a different account, alleging that members of the Chinese Landing community attacked workers employed by Vieira while they were operating in Kariako.
The association also issued a statement yesterday in which it claimed that about 15 people from Chinese Landing confronted the excavator operator and demanded that he turn the machine around. It alleged that Toshao Miller was armed with a shotgun and that other members of the group carried weapons, including a cutlass.
The GGDMA further alleged that the workers were threatened, that an excavator and an all-terrain vehicle were taken, and that two employees were subsequently chopped when they travelled to Chinese Landing to retrieve the equipment.
The association said the injured workers were receiving urgent medical attention and called on the Guyana Police Force to investigate and arrest those responsible. It also alleged that efforts to evacuate the injured workers by aircraft were disrupted when the airstrip was blocked and damaged.
Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change (AFC) has called for urgent Government intervention and independent mediation, saying the dispute has persisted despite years of engagement and legal proceedings.
The party condemned the reported assault on Miller and other residents but also acknowledged that the rights and interests of miners must be considered. It said those interests should not be pursued at the expense of the security and rights of the Chinese Landing community.
The AFC recommended that Major General (Ret’d) Joseph Singh, or another person of comparable independence and experience, be engaged to facilitate mediation involving the Village Council, affected miners and relevant Government agencies.
The latest confrontation is a result of months of tension over heavy-duty equipment linked to Vieira’s mining concessions and efforts to move machinery into the Tassawini area.
Residents have been keeping a watch to prevent equipment from entering lands they regard as part of the village’s titled territory. The dispute also led to a mediation effort involving the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), which the Commission withdrew from in September.
Last month, Toshao Miller told Kiskadee Watch that aircraft were being used to transport fuel into the disputed mining area after residents blocked access by road.
The dispute has also been the subject of precautionary measures granted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 2023 in favour of members of the Indigenous Carib community of Chinese Landing, with concerns about their rights to life and personal integrity in the context of opposition to mining activities.
Discussion