Sunday’s arrest and seizure of equipment from several miners who operated within the Kaieteur National Park by the joint services and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has been welcomed by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud.

But the association in a statement also called on the powers that be to investigate thoroughly claims made by those arrested that they have paid and been given permission by the GGMC to operate in the area.

“The GHRA welcomes the recent action to clear the Kaieteur Park of dredges and illegal mining, in the hope that this is the beginning of a systematic campaign (not a one-off public relations stunt) to force the mining industry to operate within a regime of law and order. Troubling complaints about mining in the area have been surfacing for some time.”

The Kaieteur National Park is the home of the majestic Kaieteur Falls, the largest single-drop water falls in the world. The park is a protected area and as such all aspects of its bio-diversity have to be maintained. However, the 21 miners, all of whom have been released and are to go before the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court where they will be charged on July 18, contend that they have done nothing wrong as they have receipts to show that payments were made to the GGMC for claims intended to facilitate mining in the Kaieteur National Park area.

One receipt seen by the Guyana Chronicle shows that George De Abreu paid $16,000 on January 5, 2017 for the “renewal of 16 G&PS claims namely ‘Sparkle, Sparkle #1-#4, Cash, Cash #1-#4, Troy, Troy #1-#5, located on September 7, 2016”. The most recent payment was made on May 15, 2017, and all payment receipts were stamped by GGMC. But Commissioner of GGMC, Newell Dennison has made it clear that a payment receipt does not give an individual the right to mine on lands, and it is only a mining permit or licence which could empower individuals to legally conduct mining activities.

Dennison said that there is no way those receipts reflect that permission was granted by the Commission for persons to mine in the Kaieteur National Park. The GGMC head explained that when money is paid for a claim (land), a verification and research process is then conducted to ascertain whether the area is available and if it reaches the specifications for mining. It is only after the requirements are satisfied that a permit or licence would be issued and noted that no payment receipt could have been issued for any area within the KNP as it is a protected area.

Toshao of Chenapau, Edward Mc Garrell , has since defended the miners, arguing that there is no clear boundary of the KNP, while Michael Mc Garrell also of Chenapau said the miners were nowhere close to the sign which indicates where the National Park is. Both the Kaieteur National Park Act and the regulations under the Mining Act of 2005 expressly forbid mining operations within the Park.

The GHRA applauded the prompt manner in which the law enforcement officials have acted on the matter but noted that the same alacrity is necessary in responding to the allegations made by the miners who were arrested, most of whom hail from Chenapau Village, Region 8.

“Similar alacrity from the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is also necessary in response to claims from the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) that some, at least, of those arrested have valid documents. The GHRA is calling for these operations to be carried out in a manner re-assuring to those concerned about the welfare of the affected Amerindian families.”

The Association made it clear that should the investigation reveal that invalid documents were issued to some of the miners or other irregularities encouraged by GGMC officials, that they too should be the “target of similar condign action by higher authority.

“Lack of transparency in GGMC operations is a constant aggravating feature of illegal mining activity,” the Association said in its statement.

Additionally, the body hopes that the intention of the political leadership are aligned with the United Nations Climate Change Convention principles which has been ratified by the APNU+AFC coalition government “and its actions are ushering in an era in which national resources such as forests, water and life in all its bio-diversity is replacing the primary understanding of them as commercial commodities.”

Moreover, the Association believes that the rush for access to new mining claims “by self-defined small miners” needs to be accompanied by assurances to the larger society relative to environmental guarantees.

“For this reason, the GHRA believes the Government’s recent action is correct in resisting the powerful interests posturing as small miners, by denying them access to claims in areas which threaten the integrity of the Upper Demerara and Berbice rivers.”

The GHRA noted too that the transformation of ingrained attitudes into more respectful practices towards water in all its forms will be a major undertaking but noted that achieving such change is “neither inevitable nor a foregone conclusion as long as mining, as practised on any scale in Guyana, remains largely incompatible with a green economy, in whatever way that term is defined.”

The Association said it believes, based on reports that the severe flooding which affected hundreds of indigenous peoples in several communities within Regions 7 and 8 recently is linked to mining activities. It said residents claim that rivers and creeks especially can no longer remove excessive volumes of water following years of accumulated debris from mining, haphazard clearing of bush and trees into the waterways and large deposits of tailings, sand and over-burden blocking the normal flow of the river currents.

“Discarded oil drums, 5-gallon plastic bottles, discarded machinery, were specifically mentioned,” the statement added.

The GHRA said too that the impact of mining is evident in the discoloration and sluggishness of the larger rivers.The conditions of many creeks which feed into these rivers on which mining has been occurring for decades is reportedly worse but less observable.

“Residents have informed the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) that they believe the flooding to be a combination of excessive rainfall and the declining capacity of rivers to accommodate the volume of water.”

Respect the law
Meanwhile, echoing similar sentiments in a facebook post, former Minister Robert Persaud who was the minister who piloted the Guyana Protected Areas Bill in July 2011, and oversaw the establishment of the Protected Areas Commission said “it’s important for all to reflect on the intent, spirit and purpose of law that included the Kaieteur National Park as part of the National Protected Areas System.”

The former Minister said that there was “no contemplation of gold and diamond mining in the Park” and noted that a plan was developed, after consultations, for a wide-range of economic activities for the associated/affected population.”

He believes that any attempt at mining in declared protected areas “has always been resisted given its inherent incompatibility with a declared protected area.”

“I recall a move by certain interests to have some type of gold mining in the Iwokrama area which was instantly and outrightly rejected. I encourage all to reflect on the Protected Areas Act and be reminded of its objectives in an effort to have a sober and objective discourse and debate on the matter,” said Persaud.