Reparations activists harming social cohesion efforts

Dear Editor,
I refer to M Maxwell’s letter in another section of the media on April 12, 2016 titled “Land Reparation for African Guyanese impractical”. Maxwell, in his letter, said: “What I have a problem is falsely bootstrapping and conflating the African land reparation claim rooted in recompense for slavery with patrimonial and inherent land ownership rights of Amerindians.”
Maxwell is correct because what he says is consistent with international law that pertains to the rights of indigenous peoples. Maxwell also said: “The entire fiasco is increasingly appearing an ethnic land grab masquerading under the guise of land reparations.”
It is unfortunate, but this is the impression I am receiving when I read the long letters in the press by the Guyana reparation activists which can certainly defeat Guyana’s continuing efforts to build social cohesion. Already I have started to receive calls from indigenous peoples expressing their concerns. The Guyana Reparations Committee need to put themselves in order.

Yours sincerely,
Peter Persaud