THE Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) is calling on the relevant authorities to arbitrate in a dispute between a miner operating a dredge on the Mazaruni River, and the Isseneru village council. “Miners cannot be subject to arbitrary double-tribute systems, and the whims of greedy village councils who have no right to bully and intimidate legitimate operators. The GGDMA condemns this sort of bullyism, and calls on the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, and the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs to recognise that this is not a “helpless” village council; rather, it is a council that has misled them about the facts,” the GGDMA said in a statement Friday.
In that statement, the association refutes as “erroneous utterances” media reports to the effect that a certain miner, despite being issued a cease order by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, was still operating in the area.

WIDESPREAD CONFLICT
The area in question is near residential Isseneru on the Mazaruni River, in Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), which, again according to reports, was the source of widespread conflict between the miner and the villagers.
The said conflict reportedly led to Vice-President of the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) Tony Jones pleading for something to be done immediately to resolve the matter.
But the GGDMA is adamant that the miner at reference, “Who has been operating in the area legally and uninterrupted for several years, volunteered to reduce his operations to allow for an impartial inspection to be carried out by the GGMC. This was done; no fault was found. The miner was cleared of all accusations of impropriety and he was allowed to resume his operations.”
According to the GGDMA, the miner has donated some 32 ounces of gold since he began working downstream from Isseneru earlier this year.
“This was after a discussion with the council, and a demand for payment of a 12% tribute. Despite not having any legal right to collect such tribute,” the GGDMA said, adding:

PREVIOUS ARRANGEMENT
“What has not yet been communicated to the public is the fact that the village and the miner also had a previous arrangement, whereby he was granted permission to operate the same river dredge on village lands (in the village buffer zone) in exchange for a 12% tribute. This deal was negotiated and put in place by the village council which collected the tribute.”
The arrangement between the Village Council and the miner, GGDMA said, was stopped by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), as it is illegal to mine in a buffer zone.
According to the GGDMA, “The current/new arrangement for the tribute for the river dredge was an additional agreement, based more on previous partnerships rather than in a legal right to demand tribute for lands which are not within the village’s title.”
The Village Council, it contends, should not be collecting tribute for lands that are not within their boundaries; and the Mazaruni River is not part of any village’s land.
“Permission to operate in this river is the sole jurisdiction of the State and its agent, the GGMC,” the association said, adding: “One would have expected that this would have been made clear by the ruling in October this year by the Honourable Chief Justice.”

COURT RULING
Back in October, Chief Justice Ian Chang and Puisne Judge Rishi Persaud ruled that the Village of Jawalla does not own, possess or control the Mazaruni River.
“It is clear that the Mazaruni River is not part and parcel of the village lands of Jawalla,” the two judges said in their judgement, adding: “It also appears that the Mazaruni River does not pass through the village lands of Jawalla, or lands contiguous with the village lands of Jawalla.”
They further ruled that the Mazaruni River appears to “pass along” rather than “through” the village.
The Village Council of Isseneru has also claimed that the “dragga” (water dredge) was mining on lands near the school and health centre, as well as upstream from the village.
But according to the GGDMA, “These are all fabrications. The “dragga’ has been mining downstream, and unless the village is subject to special laws of nature, the water will not reverse its flow upstream. The truth can be verified by the GGMC and from the report of the investigative team.”
The association maintains that the miner is within his legal right; “a right he pays for, to operate a legitimate, certified and regularly inspected operation.”
According to the GGDMA, as recent as Wednesday, November 24, the ‘dragga” was inspected by GGMC officials, and given the ‘all clear”, meaning that “no violation was found.”
The association said while it is not saying that the village doesn’t have a right to object to operations that endanger their village, the clause “is being used in an ad hoc manner, even where there are no credible threats, as coercion to bully miners into paying tribute or other donations.”