PRESIDENT David Granger has dismissed as “spurious”, renewed claims by Suriname of the New River Triangle. According to online news site, ‘de Ware Tijd’, Surinamese President Desi Bouterse told his country’s National Assembly Wednesday that the New River Triangle (Tigri) will be “back on the agenda” and that he had no “choice” but to do so.
“I read the statement attributed to President Bouterse but as far as I am concerned, it does not change the price of rice,” President Granger said at a press conference at his Georgetown Office.
The New River Triangle encompasses an area larger than Jamaica, the President said, while declaring that Guyana would not allow its sovereignty to be violated.
The President said Suriname’s claim is not new, but whatever the new claim is, it is not being treated lightly.

“We feel that this claim is spurious and we have taken measures in the past to protect our territorial integrity and we will continue to protect our territorial integrity in that regard,” the Guyanese Head of State said.
President Granger said Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge is likely to seek clarification from the Surinamese Ambassador to Guyana as the matter is rather “opaque” at this point in time.
Apart from the New River Triangle, Suriname claims the Corentyne River and that is still a matter of controversy because there has never been any treaty demarcating the boundary between Guyana and Suriname, President Granger said.
“We are aware of the historical claim that Suriname has made to the New River, but I think this is not the time and not the place to advance the claim,” Granger stated.
“There is, as you know, historical evidence that the Eastern boundary between Brazil, what was then British Guiana and what was then Dutch Guiana was clearly marked at least by 1936 and that mark is literally indelible.
“What we do know is that the boundaries of all three countries meet there. They don’t meet at New River, they don’t meet anywhere else,” the President posited.
He was referring to the international boundary line of the Kutari River.
“So whatever argument the Surinamese government advances has to start with the Kutari and that’s our argument and that’s what we’re going to stand by; that’s the international boundary. You cannot convene a meeting of your Parliament and change the boundary.”
In its last claim to the New River, in May last year, Suriname’s Foreign Minister Winston Lackin, told his Parliament that Tigri area does not belong Guyana.
“Tigri is Suriname territory, but as a developing country we have chosen for the path of diplomacy with, as goal, sustainable development for both our nations. We are convinced that a constructive solution is the best outcome,” he said.
Lackin had said then that the dispute was a priority for President Desi Bouterse, who was re-elected this year.
Then Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett had referred to the Kutari River as the border junction, referring to the 1936 agreement signed by Brazil, then Dutch Guiana and then British Guiana.
“If what is attributed to my Surinamese colleague is correct, then that is regrettable. Our two border commissions…have been meeting and those meetings are progressing very well, and we look forward to a favourable outcome in the not so distant future,” Rodrigues-Birkett said then.
The statement came on the heels over controversy when a Surinamese map, which included the New River Triangle, was being distributed at the International Mining, Energy & Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, which Suriname hosted. Guyanese decided not to participate in the event.
After Suriname had used gunboats to eject an oil exploration rig in 2000, Guyana went to the Commission on the Laws of the Sea to resolve the maritime border with Suriname.

By Neil Marks