Govt’s policy has been to reverse Amerindian land rights – PPP

– as it welcomes candidates at National Toshaos Council 2019

The People’s Progressive Party has accused the caretaker Government of reversing the land rights of Amerindians as the party welcomes the delegates of the National Toshaos Conference which gets underway today at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
See full statement below:
“People’s Progressive Party (PPP) welcomes all the Toshaos, Councillors and other representatives of Amerindian villages and communities who have travelled from the coastal, riverine and hinterland regions.
We continue to recognise and uphold the National Toshaos Council as the legitimate collective voice of the Amerindian peoples of Guyana. We continue to believe that this annual conference is an important national consultative body representing all Amerindian people, their leaders and communities. This became an important and highly anticipated event by both the NTC and successive PPP/C Governments to address concerns, remedy weaknesses, make proposals and take decisions on the spot. This practice reflected successive PPP/C Governments’ and the NTC’s determined efforts to engage with each other on issues of Amerindian rights and community development as well as matters of national importance.
This 2019 Annual Conference of the National Toshaos Council, however, is different than any other held before. The NTC representative, Mario Hastings, at the launching of the Amerindian Heritage Month on September 1 noted the significance of the times, when he said: “We are uncertain of our political landscape and call for elections to be held soonest so that we can return to normalcy.”
This Conference is taking place at a crucial and defining period in the life of our nation when constitutional rule has been undermined, and, where there is now an illegal President and Government who have defied the Constitution and the June 18, 2019, ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice and its subsequent orders.
Several civil society organisations including the Guyana Bar Association, the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (AmCham Guyana), the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, the Zadok Fellowship (an organisation of over 100 Christian churches), have all called on the Government to comply with the Constitution.
The recent Guyana Bar Association release stated: “By failing to abide by the clear and unambiguous terms of the Constitution, the Government of Guyana has abdicated its responsibility, violated the Constitution, is operating outside of the rule of law and in breach of internationally recognised standards of democracy.”
In a public statement issued by the Secretary General of the Commonwealth on September 23, 2019, Baroness Scotland made it clear that: “The rule of law and constitutional governance are fundamental Commonwealth values to which Guyana has subscribed. In this regard, and in accordance with the ruling of the CCJ, a general election in Guyana is now constitutionally overdue. A general election should be held in accordance with the unambiguous constitutional imperative to do so. The Secretary General has spoken with the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and discussed Commonwealth support to GECOM.”
The statement of the OAS General Secretariat on September 28, 2019, underlined the importance to the people of Guyana of leaving behind the period of political uncertainty as soon as possible: “The OAS General Secretariat looks forward to the issuance of the proclamation required by Guyana’s Constitution to firmly establish the date for the elections. The General Secretariat will continue to follow the situation in Guyana and remains available to provide support as the authorities may require in ensuring the next elections meet the standards of transparency, credibility and integrity, required of all democracies.”
In our press statements on the occasion of the 2017 and 2018 National Toshaos Conferences, we warned that: “Recent developments… are cause for great worry. Emerging trends in the body politik under the APNU+AFC coalition Government threaten Amerindian rights.”
In 2019, however, developments since December 21, 2018, and the refusal of the President to comply with the Constitution for almost 10 months threaten political and economic stability and undermine democracy and the rights of not only Amerindians but all Guyanese.
We, in the PPP/C, recognise that the most precious asset for the first peoples is the protection of their lands from encroachment; land represents their relationship with their environment and ability to survive and prosper.
It was only after 1992, and under the PPP/C Administration, that the 60 odd communities which had received documents indicating some descriptions of the areas issued in 1976 were able to have their lands demarcated, and, thereby, finally be able to obtain their communal land titles. In fact, all titles held by Amerindian communities were issued by the PPP/C Government. Not one land title or extension of land title has been granted since the APNU/AFC coalition took office in May 2015.
The participants of the NTC are well aware that the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) was one of the most innovative initiatives by the PPP/C Administration which also received international recognition. We initiated the largest pioneer carbon trading scheme for forest carbons which earned US$250 million revenue and contributed in a significant way to the further development of our country.
Unfortunately, the APNU/AFC Government’s repudiation of the Low Carbon Development Strategy, and, the initiatives designed to enhance national, and in particular, Amerindian development, has destroyed long years of work at all levels to find a modern inclusive national developmental strategy for the future. The Government’s often mooted alternative of a Green State Development Strategy remains a mystery with no specific initiatives to address the developmental needs of the people. It remains a non-starter with no plan for comprehensive inclusive development of the country and its peoples. In its wake, there is an enormous vacuum.
Under the Low Carbon Development Strategy several programmes, including multi-year projects, were identified that focused specifically on the development of Amerindian communities – the Amerindian Land Titling Project, the Community Development Plans, the Project for Hinterland Electrification and the Hinterland ICT Project, all were fully funded. All have stagnated due to the Government’s reluctance to move on these issues, or, they have been tarnished with corruption and or monies have been squandered due to corruption.
In 2018, the Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs admitted before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources that no titles or extensions of lands to Amerindian communities had been issued by his Government. Demarcation of titled lands is now at a stand-still. This is in spite of the availability of US$10.7 million that the PPP/C Administration left in the Amerindian Land Titling Project in May 2015.
“Free Prior and Informed Consent”, a fundamental international principle has been repeatedly honoured in the breach; one of the most glaring examples is the decision by the Government to establish the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into lands. Since its promise in 2017 to the NTC regarding the CoI, the Government has not kept any of those commitments. This CoI continues to hang like a “Sword of Damocles” over Amerindian land rights.
Most recently at the official launch of the Amerindian Heritage Month, the caretaker Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, apologist that he is for his Government, stated that: “… it is also important that Indigenous peoples understand that all Guyanese have a right to share in the distribution of our resources. We need to find a middle ground where we embrace this reality.”
This language harks back to statements made by presidential adviser Eric Phillips in the media and Minister Keith Scott in the National Assembly that the Amerindians had too much land and they were “avaricious” and threatened that they would not benefit from the new oil revenues. Not one official of the Government has ever apologised to the Amerindian peoples or retracted these derogatory statements.
Therefore, by acts of omission and commission, by words and deeds, the Government’s official policy has been one of reversing Amerindians’ land rights. The new administrative requirement of the submission of a Village Improvement Plan (VIP) for any community applying for land or an extension, as announced by Allicock, flies in the face of the Amerindian Act, and is meant to further stall any titles being granted.
Furthermore, there have been more casualties along the way – the Government attempted to dilute the Amerindian presence on the Indigenous Peoples’ Commission and promises to reform the Amerindian Act could undermine the present safeguards of Amerindian land rights.
The growing Government neglect of interior areas and Amerindian communities is visible and palpable.
The roads, culverts, bridges and trails are in a deplorable state and villages face restricted travel and movement and an escalating cost of living. The main artery connecting the coast to Administrative Regions Seven, Eight, and Nine is in a worse condition than ever seen in the last two decades.
The social sector – education and health services and their infrastructure – is declining at a rapid pace, compounded with limited school supplies and facilities and shortage of essential drugs and medical supplies everywhere and at all levels of the health system.
The increase in the cost of living due to the 200 draconian taxes and fees of the APNU/AFC Government in the Amerindian communities, always higher than the coastal areas, has worsened dramatically, driving people into greater poverty.
Due to the state of the economy, the lack of opportunities for youth, and, in fact, all Amerindians, has reached alarming proportions. There are few jobs available in these hinterland regions, nor are there jobs on the coast, to offer alternatives to Amerindians and hinterland residents.
The illegal Granger-led Government is guilty of either the dismantling of or diverting resources of every single PPP/C-initiated programme that improved the quality of life of the Amerindian communities and their enhanced access to services, goods and opportunities as other Guyanese. Some of these included:
– The Hinterland Household Electrification Programme terminated;
– Funds for the US$17 million Hinterland ICT programme, are only now being implemented but with a great deal of corruption;
– Termination of 1972 young Amerindian Community Service Officers effectively shut down the programme and impoverished 10,000 dependents;
– The Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training programme terminated; HEYS as an alternative is a skills training programme, not an entrepreneurial programme. From its inception it has been bedevilled by complaints of lack of payments for facilitators and participants alike. The issue of over $800 million being unaccounted for by the Auditor General remains unanswered. Now the entire programme is in jeopardy.
– Limited access to scholarships both local and overseas at the post-secondary levels;
– The termination of the “cash care” programme for all children enrolled in public-funded schools hit the Amerindian communities hardest;
– Funding for approved Community Development Plans is in jeopardy;
– School uniform materials have not been issued for almost 2 school years in many Amerindian communities.
It is the illegal Granger-led Government that is responsible for worsening conditions in Amerindian communities, and, in fact, the entire country.
Many have been the public promises by the Government but these have remained hollow with key and major issues remaining unaddressed and worsening conditions affecting the economic and social well-being of Amerindian citizens, coupled with alarming incursions on their constitutional and legal rights.
As a result of the No-Confidence Motion and pending elections, the illegal President and Ministers are running into communities, including Amerindian communities, making new promises offering gifts of “David G” satchels, and other things, while ignoring the main issues these communities face of lack of jobs, economic development and access to goods, services and opportunities. During this frenzy of activities, enormous sums of taxpayers’ monies are being siphoned off for personal gain.
The PPP/C assures the Amerindian communities that it will restore, resume and expand the programmes – which the caretaker Granger-led Government dismantled – and improve the quality of life of the Amerindian communities, enhance their access to goods, services and opportunities as other Guyanese, and integrate their communities into mainstream Guyana.
As part of the first initiative of the PPP/C, we shall convene a national development conference in April 2020 for Amerindian communities to initiate the “Resumption of Development” of these communities.
The PPP/C Government’s plans for Amerindian Communities and Hinterland Development will include the following:-
1. Inclusivity – Uphold the principle of “Free Prior and Informed Consent” in decision-making by the Government and State agencies with Amerindian communities on issues and policies of national concern and those which involve their communities;
2. Immediately resume the Amerindian Land Titling programme in compliance with the 2006 Amerindian Act;
3. Fully finance the Community Development Plans thereby creating jobs and income;
4. Increase Presidential Grants to fund and support other village activities;
5. Hire 2000 Community Service Officers and expand the CSO programme;
6. Improve agricultural support and infrastructure across the hinterland;
7. Upgrade the hinterland roads, airstrips and water supply;
8. Resume the Hinterland Household Electrification Programme and the Hinterland ICT programme;
9. Improve working conditions for education and health workers;
10. Improve education and health facilities and services;
11. Remove hardship taxes on hinterland communities especially border areas;
12. Remove VAT on air tickets and freight;
13. Ensure that Amerindian and other hinterland residents benefit substantially from the proceeds of the oil and gas sector;
14. Other measures that will benefit all Guyanese such as the restoration of the “cash care grant” to all school children, removal of the 200 tax measures including removal of VAT on essential items; restoring zero-rated VAT for machinery for agriculture, mining and forestry industries will also develop Amerindian and Hinterland communities;
15. Improve ICT on coast and hinterland to provide quicker communication and integration of the hinterland region in mainstream society.

The PPP/C’s track record in Government over the years demonstrated its commitment to our first peoples, our Amerindians – the protection of their land rights, the consistent application of the principle of “Free Prior and Informed Consent” in every case in their interaction with Amerindian communities, the implementation of agreed-on projects for the development of communities, reduction of poverty, and, respect for the duly elected leaders of Amerindian communities. We shall not deviate in our efforts in the new Government to restore and continue to improve the quality of their lives and integration into our nation as equal partners.
The PPP re-commits to all the Toshaos, community leaders and representatives attending this 2019 NTC Conference to uphold the Guyana Constitution, guard democracy and the rights of all Guyanese as equals to enjoy all the resources and opportunities Guyana has to offer.
Only compliance with the Constitution, rule of law, free and fair elections with a PPP/C Government can restore the quality of life of our first peoples, open opportunities and equal access to goods, services and opportunities for advancement.”