The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association calls for the immediate arrest and investigation into the attempted murder and robbery carried out on the mining operators of Wayne Vieira in the Kariako village area by elements connected to illegal miners supported by the leadership of Chinese landing.
Miners from Wayne Vieira are currently receiving urgent medical care (see images of injuries attached) after they were attacked by elements from Chinese landing who travelled more than 13 kilometres to Kariako village to attack them. The attackers are known to be involved in illegal mining and are using the leadership of the nearby community to cover their operations while pretending to be victims.
THE FACTS:
On Thursday, 12th November at around 1600 hrs the leadership of CHINESE LANDING stole an excavator and ATV belonging to the Wayne Vieira Mining company and in the process wounded a mining employee in the village of KARIAKO.
The Guyana Police Force has confirmed the incident involved armed threats and the forcible removal of an excavator and the subsequent wounding of a mining company employee. At the time the excavator operator and other employees were working in the village of Kariko, not Chinese Landing, with the permission of the Toshao of Kariako Village, Collis Samuels.
While working, in Kariako village, the operator was confronted by about 15 persons from Chinese Landing Village who entered Kariako Village lands without the consent of the Village or its Toshao, Captain Collis Samuels. The group included Toshao Nikita Miller, Cleveland Pearson, husband of Councillor Vernon Millington, Oral Fernandes and Selwyn Miller, Nikita Miller’s brother, from Chinese Landing Village. Nikita Miller carried a 12-gauge shotgun, while her relative, Oral Fernandes, also carried a firearm, other members of the group carried pieces of wood and cutlasses. Miller, who was armed, pointed the gun at the operator and demanded that he turn the excavator around and return to the Barama River, while her brother was armed with a cutlass hit the excavator several times with the weapon. Fearing for his life, the operator complied. Later the attacker pointed the firearm, threatened to chop the operator and demanded the keys of the excavator, they then stole the excavator and an ATV and took it to the nearby village of Chinese landing.
Later when Eon Perry, the excavator operator and another male travelled to Chinese Landing Village to retrieve the machines, they were again threatened with the firearm and then were brutally chopped. The attackers then attempted to murder other persons connected with the Mining camp.
A medical evacuation was requested for the injured miners, however when the aircraft attempted to land, the leadership of Chinese Landing proceed to block and damage the airstrip and almost causing the aircraft to crash. A helicopter then had to be used to land at a different area.
Action
The GGDMA calls on the Guyana Police force to arrest these attempted murderers and illegal miners who are sheltering under the leadership of Chinese landing as they continue to prevent legitimate miners from operation in favour of their own illegal operations, while dramatizing to the public a falsehood of victimisation.
The Chinese landing issue has been settled by Guyana’s Highest Court, the CCJ, and the Government, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Police Force cannot allow this illegality to continue any further, immediate and strong action must be taken against these great pretenders who portray a false narrative to the public to get sympathy points while, in fact, they are the aggressors and bullies in this particular saga. We call again on the authorities: STRONG ACTION MUST BE TAKEN NOW! Do not let these charlatans get away with this; we do not want any more violence or bloodshed. The matter now has reached a peak where elements of the village leadership backed by political opportunists have severely injured a legitimate miner in an attempt to murder him.
The GGDMA maintains its position that the rule of law must prevail for all not just those who can scream victimisation wrongfully. Miners like all other citizens of Guyana must be allowed to operate legally and will continue to do so, The GGDMA stands with its miners and urges the government to urgently address this issue as it has now become extremely violent. A police unit must be dispatched, and arrests must be made, the Government is bound to upkeep the law.
Background
There has been a longstanding dispute between Nikita Miller and Wayne Vieira concerning mining operations at Tassiwini Backdam. This matter was taken to Guyana’s Highest Court the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and settled in favour of Wayne Vieira. The CCJ noted that Vieira was prevented from exercising his lawful mining rights while unauthorised mining continued on his concessions, causing environmental damage and depriving the State of royalties.
Miller continues to illegally maintain a mining concession in the village in defiance of the court’s order. Recently they have escalated their illegal mining and ramped up attacks on the mining operations of Wayne Vieira, in addition they have restricted his access to his mining property and now have ventured to attack his operation in nearby village not their own, the Chinese landing village leadership continues to spread the false narratives and play victim while being the aggressors.
