THE much-anticipated return of those firearms which were collected during the government’s firearm amnesty of 2015 in Amerindian communities, is soon to be realised.
A planned trip to Region Seven to commence the distribution process was last week called off due to inclement weather conditions. A team headed by Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan that also included Minster of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock and Minister of Public Affairs Dawn Hasting-Williams, was on site to depart the Eugene. F. Correia International Airport to facilitate the distribution, but the trip was cancelled. The team was supposed to have met with residents of 11 indigenous communities at Chinoweng, Phillipai and Kamarang. In addition to the firearms, they were also taking along 121 permits to distribute to the residents. However, weather reports coming out of the region advised against the trip.

Minister Ramjattan said the government is very disappointed by the delay. “It is important that we get there because a lot of the indigenous persons are desirous of having their firearm licences and their firearms returned; we had a long period to ensure that their licences are obtained,” he told the Department of Public Information.

The minister explained that the process of returning the relinquished firearms took a while because all relevant information had to be collected in accordance with the firearm board. “I want the people there to know from those 11 villages that we are going to make every effort as early as possible to make the deliveries,” he said.
Minister Allicock said persons had trekked from very long distances to meet up at the respective locations either to receive their firearms, or their permits to purchase firearms. However, safety remains important. “For safety we have just decided not to make the trip because we have received reports that there are thunderstorms and rain in all three locations,” Minister Allicock told DPI.

Members of Indigenous communities back in 2015 had participated in the Ministry of Public Security’s gun amnesty programme, relinquishing their unlicensed firearms. The ministry’s plan was to regularise the system, to allow for every firearm holder to be licensed. Of the 140 firearms received from Region Seven indigenous villages, during the amnesty of 2015, only nine were serviceable and were being returned to the respective owners. The ministry will be working towards a new date for the distribution.