Illegal miners defying Village Council, GGMC at Isseneru
VILLAGERS of Isseneru in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), who have been enjoying security of tenure for their lands since granted them in 1997, woke up on November 16 last to find a gold mining camp in the middle of their titled and demarcated boundary. They approached the miners and told them that they were trespassing and must move out but were ignored and mining started the next day.
On January 13, 2012, close to two months after the intrusion and after two cease work orders had been issued by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the illegal miners were still at Isseneru and continuing to operate in the titled Amerindian village.
This was disclosed by members of the Village Council during a media conference in Georgetown at which they called on the GGMC to take effective action against the unlawful operations.
The Isseneru villagers said, without the permission to govern what happens on their own land, they are left at the mercy of the miners and others who may want to do similarly.
“We, the Isseneru Village Council and the residents of Isseneru Village call on the GGMC and the Government to enforce the laws and regulations of our country to protect our rights as indigenous people,” spokesman and Toshao Dhaness Larson said.
He said, after the miners refused to move out at their request on November 17, members of the Village Council reported the intrusion to GGMC Mines Officer at Kurupung on November 23.
The Mines Officer visited the site the following day and, after investigating, issued a cease work order to the miners the same day.
But the miners resumed mining the very next day after the Mines Officer left the village.
Larson said he and other members of the Village Council, who had travelled to Georgetown to make their complaint, met with the GGMC Commissioner but were unaware that the cease work order was being breached at the time of their meeting.
As soon as the breach was made known, the Village Council informed their legal counsel, attorney-at-Law Mr. David James, who wrote letters to the GGMC Commissioner on November 29 and December 2, drawing attention to the persistence of the intruders at Isseneru.
The Council also made a December 8 written complaint to the GGMC. However the GGMC did not respond to these additional complaints until December 29 when mines officers from Georgetown went to Isseneru and, subsequently, issued another cease work order dated December 30.
The mining operations stopped for a few days but the miners recommenced on Monday, January 2, 2012 and continued up to January 13, in total disregard for the authority of the GGMC and the Isseneru Village Council.