I WISH to refer to Stabroek News article in its issue of Thursday, October 24, 2013 under the caption: ‘Amerindians protest Titling project without recognition of traditional lands’.

Permit me to state the following:
1. The Amerindians who protested at the entrance of the International Conference Centre while the National Toshao Council (NTC) 2013 conference was in session was simply a bunch of Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) activists who needed some attention. But unfortunately for the APA the vast majority of the Toshaos who it claims to be representing bluntly ignored them and, like a dog with its tail between its legs, had to abandon its mischievous political protest.
2. The APA political protest placards read: ‘Allow our Toshaos to speak freely without intimidation’; ‘Address our land issue now’; ‘Stop targeting APA deal with the issues’; and ‘Derrick John when the cock crowed you denied us’. Let me deal now with the trash written on the APA’s placards.
3. I believe even the deaf heard the Toshaos speaking out courageously in representing the interests of their respective villages and communities at the recently held NTC conference. They did so not only in the presence of government ministers, regional officials and other state officials, but in the presence of the President of Guyana, Mr. Donald Ramotar as well. So the Toshaos spoke freely and without intimidation. They did not need the APA to speak for them neither its help in any other matter since they were strong enough to do so. The APA’s political protest was therefore a miserable failure.
4. What land issue was the APA speaking about? The fact of the matter is that 13 communities will be titled, 37 villages will be demarcated and 33 villages will have extensions to their village lands by 2016. The Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) project document agreement was already signed between the Government of Guyana and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for implementation. The project is estimated to cost US$10.7M. The APA even accused the UNDP of “making decisions without consulting us.”
This is pure balderdash. The UNDP did send to the APA a copy of the Amerindian Land Titling Project Document for comments and feedback but apparently they lacked understanding of the document which resulted in their incompetence to deal with Amerindian land issues. For example, the APA is misleading Amerindian Communities about something they call ‘Territorial Rights’ which is not even mentioned in the Amerindian Act 2006, neither in their Statelands Act cap 62:01. The APA doesn’t respect the Amerindian Act 2006 which embodies the principle of self-determination and free prior and informed consent (FPIC). But Christopher Bulkan, a lecturer in law at the University of the West Indies said that “the revised Amerindian Act 2006 provides greater protection of the rights of Amerindians since it sets out clearly defined and concrete obligations on the part of the government” and “that the procedure established is simple, flexible and meticulously outlined, while the requirements laid down are set at the barest minimum” (Christopher Bulkan, May 2008. The land rights of Guyana’s Indigenous peoples). The APA doesn’t even understand the Amerindian Act 2006, yet they parrot the United Nations Declarations on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which is legally non-binding on the countries that ratified it.
5. The APA at its political protest said: ‘Derrick John when the cock crowed you denied us’. Unfortunately for the APA no cock was heard crowing when Toshao Derrick John, chairman of the National Toshao Council (NTC) blasted the APA’s protest as alien to the cause of Amerindian peoples development and that the over 167 Toshaos gathered at International Conference Centre must ignore the protest. Toshao Derrick John’s statement of condemnation of the APA’s protest was greeted by a loud round of applause by the Toshaos.
6. A former Toshao of region 9 was vociferous at the APA’s political protest. This former Toshao is known to have mismanaged his village funds amounting to millions of dollars which he promised to repay but up to now has not done so. The former Toshao must know that his village is currently awaiting on his repayments so as to carry out village developments and is fortunate that the villagers so far have not requested the intervention of the police. Maybe the villagers at their village general meeting can seek the assistance of the APA to assist in the repayments of the village funds since the former Toshao is now sheltering under the APA. What a shame!
7. Mr. Editor, it is known that the Government of Guyana is currently paying significant attention to the development of its Indigenous Peoples. This has always been and so it will continue to be since 1992. But the APA having absolutely nothing to complain about is now using Amerindians just to keep on the payroll of its foreign paymasters for survival. And mind you, its “Amerindian issues” are mere fabrications and artificial, thus using Amerindians as its political football. What a mockery and shame!

PETER PERSAUD