The Alliance For Change (AFC) is deeply concerned by the renewed tensions and reports of physical violence arising from the longstanding dispute between the Indigenous community of Chinese Landing and miners operating in and around the village’s titled lands.
This is an old and protracted dispute which has persisted despite years of engagement, legal proceedings and a ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). It is deeply troubling that, after all this time, the parties remain embroiled in confrontation, with residents now reportedly subjected to physical attacks and intimidation.
The AFC recognises that there are legitimate rights and interests to be considered on all sides, including those of miners whose livelihoods and investments are involved. However, these interests cannot be pursued at the expense of the rights, security, dignity and lawful authority of the Chinese Landing community. The village’s rights must be recognised, respected and protected by the Government of Guyana. A judicial ruling concerning a particular mining order cannot be interpreted as absolving the State of its wider responsibility to protect Indigenous communities and ensure that all applicable laws are respected.
We unequivocally condemn the reported physical assault on the Toshao and other residents of Chinese Landing. No disagreement over land, mining rights or economic interests can ever justify violence. We call on the Guyana Police Force to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation, identify all those responsible and ensure that anyone against whom sufficient evidence exists is prosecuted. The safety of the Toshao, Village Council and residents must be guaranteed, and the community must not be left to defend itself.
The AFC is particularly concerned that this dispute is unfolding in a border region at a time when Guyana faces heightened national security considerations. Persistent disquiet, confrontation and a perception of abandonment among residents of border communities are matters that must never be taken lightly. They can be leveraged and exploited by the very gangsthat the President referenced in his recent address to the nation.
The Government must therefore act with urgency and not allow this situation to deteriorate further.
We recall that during the APNU+AFC administration, when serious disagreements arose among miners, mining interests and Indigenous communities at Marudi Mountain in the South Rupununi, the then Minister of Natural Resources facilitated a mediation process involving the highly respected Major General (Ret’d) Joseph Singh. That intervention brought the parties together and resulted in a mediated agreement intended to accommodate competing interests and establish a framework for resolving the dispute.
The AFC believes that this experience offers a useful and practical precedent for the present circumstances. We strongly recommend that Major General Singh, or another person of comparable stature, independence, experience and credibility, be engaged immediately to facilitate a structured mediation process involving the Chinese Landing Village Council, affected miners, the relevant government agencies and other stakeholders.
The mediation must be undertaken in good faith, with the rights and interests of the Indigenous community fully recognised and protected, while providing a fair hearing to the legitimate concerns of miners. It must also produce clear, enforceable understandings that prevent further confrontation and provide a sustainable framework for coexistence.
The Government cannot continue to treat this as simply a disagreement between a village and miners. It has a constitutional, legal and moral responsibility to protect its citizens, uphold Indigenous rights, maintain public order and ensure that economic activities are conducted within the law.
The time for further delay, recrimination and the shifting of responsibility has passed. Chinese Landing deserves protection, miners deserve fairness, and Guyana deserves peace and stability in its border communities.
The AFC calls on the Government to act decisively and urgently before this situation escalates into something far more serious.
