The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), in a release, says the body has taken keen note of the attack on the organisation by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo while addressing the Toshaos and other Indigenous Leaders at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) on Wednesday, February 15.
“The Vice President’s vilification of the APA is a continuation of the attacks by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall. However, the APA remains resolute in its objective of ensuring that indigenous peoples’ rights are protected and respected by all. The APA also wonders why the organisation is being used as a scapegoat and distraction and why the real issues are not being addressed.”
APA says Jagdeo, like his Cabinet colleague, Minister Dharamlall, repeatedly accused the organisation of being in bed with the APNU and again, reiterates the organisation is politically neutral.
The body notes and condemns the “intended vulgarity of these descriptions and urges the national leaders to treat their offices with due decorum.”
The APA says it “wishes to, again, inform the public that the organisation has consistently encouraged support for the indigenous peoples of Guyana but remains firm that the principles of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) must apply when engaging indigenous communities. In this regard, we observed that VP Jagdeo has recognised APA’s consistent calls for FPIC, and we encourage him to heed those calls.”
Additionally, the APA wishes to remind the Vice President that all of its suggestions at the level of the Low Carbon Development Strategy’s Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) were shot down.
Governance and Rights Coordinator of the APA Laura George represents the APA on the MSG and has made representations for indigenous peoples and leaders to be properly included in the decision-making process.
Additionally, the APA says representations were made for villages that complained of not being consulted before the submissions to the ART Secretariat.
Again, the APA’s representation of indigenous peoples and their issues were shot down by both President Irfaan Ali and VP Jagdeo. It is therefore disingenuous for the Vice President to accuse the APA of not wanting to participate when its participation is limited by the government.
APA’s President Toshao Lemmel Thomas, on Wednesday, took the Vice President to task and asked him to provide information on how the 15% was decided, by whom and whether the 241 communities were involved. Additionally, Toshao Thomas said that the indigenous peoples of Guyana are the protectors of the forest, and therefore deserve a larger share of the profits from the sale of carbon credits.
The organisation says Jagdeo in his usual style dodged the questions asked by Toshao Thomas and continued his attack on the APA inferring that its only objective is to criticise the PPP/C government.
The APA says the body wishes to remind the Vice President that the organisation has a responsibility to monitor the policies and decisions that particularly affect the lives of indigenous peoples in Guyana. “It is a responsibility we take seriously and will continue to do so to ensure that indigenous peoples are accurately informed of their rights and that such rights are respected.”
The APA, once again, calls on the government to desist on its campaign of misinformation on the organisation.
