Most of the persons arrested are residents of the Amerindian village of Chenapau. 

Where is D2????? How can he allow this to happen to his people when Brazilians are getting a free ride?

skeldon_man posted:

Most of the persons arrested are residents of the Amerindian village of Chenapau. 

Where is D2????? How can he allow this to happen to his people when Brazilians are getting a free ride?

Because the Brazilians already got to the corrupt PNC officials.  Buck man think is dem land and don't pay bribe!  They learning the hard way who is boss!!

Crackdown in Kaieteur National Park… Miners claim they were on lands licenced by GGMC

May 31, 2017 News 0 Comments

The Amerindian People’s Association (APA) yesterday refuted claims that the 20 miners detained by Joint Services ranks, were working in the restricted Kaieteur National Park area.

Some of the miners outside APA’s Charlotte Street office after their release.

The miners, including two women, were released from custody after being detained at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary. One of the women, who was accompanied by her two-year-old son, was reportedly released on Monday. However, they have all been given summonses by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), to appear in court on July 18.
The miners, who were mainly Amerindians from the Patamona tribe, turned up at the APA’s Charlotte Street office yesterday. About 12 were subsequently provided with accommodation at the Amerindian Hostel in Princes Street, while others are reportedly staying at relatives.
An APA release identified the miners as Calixtus Francis, 47; Kenvil Cyril, 18; Donald Andrew, 48; Aladin Sebastian, 29; Garlon Andrew, 32; Clifford Andrew, 30; Leroy Fraser, 29; Collin Francisco, 27; Phillip Andrew, 18; Rudolph Bobb-Semple, 37; Franklin George, 38; Carlton Lewis, 40; Jason Baptiste, 30; Cecil Baptiste, 56; Bryan Mason, 31; Tomson Edwards, 17; Sabrina Dossantos, 26; Mark Andrew, 26; Carrol Williams, 22, and Clive Edwards, 20.
“The accused were summoned by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and are scheduled to make their court appearances on July 18, 2017 at the Mahdia Magistrates Court,” the APA release added.
But Amerindian People’s Association member Laura George said that the miners were working on two claims, which were licensed by the GGMC.
The claim owners were identified as George De Abreu and Charles Blair. Kaieteur News has seen what appeared to be claim licences, which were stamped by GGMC, and made out to George De Abreu. One of the licences appeared to have been issued on May 15, 2017.
“The claims are valid (and) paid for by the claim holders,” Mrs. George said.

Two receipts which appear to have been issued by the GGMC to claim owner George De Abreu.

“They (the owners) say those are their claims, the Ministry (of Natural Resources) says they have taken away their excavators, dredges and water pumps, (but ) where did they confiscate them from?”
“They (the miners) were out of the Kaieteur National Park, on claims authorized by GGMC. Somebody is not doing it right at the GGMC. They have to make themselves right, instead of making others pay for their inefficiencies,” the APA spokesperson added.
Kaieteur News understands that the miners alleged that they were working in an area out of the restricted Kaieteur National Park area, and were heading back to Chenapau, located at the left bank of the Potaro River, when the Joint Services ranks arrested them.
However, Kaieteur News understands that three of the miners may have been prospecting in the restricted Kaieteur National Park.
Following several reports of illegal mining activity at the Kaieteur National Park, President David Granger last week ordered a special operation which led to the arrest of several persons.
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman had said that a number of reports were brought to the attention of several agencies regarding the illegal activity.
Trotman said that the President was also briefed on the matter about the proliferation of mining in the area. He said that a decision was taken to urgently address the issue and an operation was executed over the weekend.
Illegal mining has been a problem for the management of the Kaieteur National Park for a number of years. The Park is located within one of the largest and most bio-diverse rainforests in the world.
Just last year, Special Constable Akeem Hyles had drowned during a government operation to stop illegal mining in the area. In that operation the Ministry of Natural Resources had partnered with the Joint Services to stop illegal mining in and around the Park.
In August of last year, a Brazilian national, Ceso Alves De Alcantara was fined $7M for mining in the area. He was caught following a raid by the Ministry and the GGMC. During the raid, officials seized a dredge, excavator engine and other equipment.
During the 1970s, the Park was downsized to facilitate mining, but was expanded in the 1990s to protect the watershed and the integrity of the area. The Park covers an area of 242 square miles or 62,700 hectares.

QUOTE: "... Amerindian People’s Association member Laura George said that the miners were working on two claims, which were licensed by the GGMC."

GGMC bureaucrats need to familiarize themselves with the geography and laws of Guyana before handing out licences and accepting payments for gold dredging. Didn't they know that the locations in question are within Kaieteur Natural Park, which is protected under law?

Gilbakka posted:

QUOTE: "... Amerindian People’s Association member Laura George said that the miners were working on two claims, which were licensed by the GGMC."

GGMC bureaucrats need to familiarize themselves with the geography and laws of Guyana before handing out licences and accepting payments for gold dredging. Didn't they know that the locations in question are within Kaieteur Natural Park, which is protected under law?

 

GGMC peeple nah bin ah skool. Dem nah no fuh reed and rite. Look like if me bin wan Guyana PNC niggro, me kudah wuk in GGMC.

skeldon_man posted:

Gilbakka posted:

QUOTE: "... Amerindian People’s Association member Laura George said that the miners were working on two claims, which were licensed by the GGMC."

GGMC bureaucrats need to familiarize themselves with the geography and laws of Guyana before handing out licences and accepting payments for gold dredging. Didn't they know that the locations in question are within Kaieteur Natural Park, which is protected under law?

 

GGMC peeple nah bin ah skool. Dem nah no fuh reed and rite. Look like if me bin wan Guyana PNC niggro, me kudah wuk in GGMC.

Google can help with our geography. 

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

skeldon_man posted:

Gilbakka posted:

QUOTE: "... Amerindian People’s Association member Laura George said that the miners were working on two claims, which were licensed by the GGMC."

GGMC bureaucrats need to familiarize themselves with the geography and laws of Guyana before handing out licences and accepting payments for gold dredging. Didn't they know that the locations in question are within Kaieteur Natural Park, which is protected under law?

 

GGMC peeple nah bin ah skool. Dem nah no fuh reed and rite. Look like if me bin wan Guyana PNC niggro, me kudah wuk in GGMC.

Google can help with our geography. 

If the GGMC people are illiterate, how can they use a computer? Google cannot help them.

skeldon_man posted:

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

skeldon_man posted:

Gilbakka posted:

QUOTE: "... Amerindian People’s Association member Laura George said that the miners were working on two claims, which were licensed by the GGMC."

GGMC bureaucrats need to familiarize themselves with the geography and laws of Guyana before handing out licences and accepting payments for gold dredging. Didn't they know that the locations in question are within Kaieteur Natural Park, which is protected under law?

 

GGMC peeple nah bin ah skool. Dem nah no fuh reed and rite. Look like if me bin wan Guyana PNC niggro, me kudah wuk in GGMC.

Google can help with our geography. 

If the GGMC people are illiterate, how can they use a computer? Google cannot help them.

Anybody can use a computer today unless it's made from wood.

Gilbakka posted:

QUOTE: "... Amerindian People’s Association member Laura George said that the miners were working on two claims, which were licensed by the GGMC."

GGMC bureaucrats need to familiarize themselves with the geography and laws of Guyana before handing out licences and accepting payments for gold dredging. Didn't they know that the locations in question are within Kaieteur Natural Park, which is protected under law?

 

GGMC are well aware of the terrain. When investigating mining concession boundaries, they normally use GPS and can pinpoint infractions accurately.  The destruction of Kaieteur should not be tolerated, not sure who is correct here but we will have to wait and see. 

Drugb posted:

Gilbakka posted:

QUOTE: "... Amerindian People’s Association member Laura George said that the miners were working on two claims, which were licensed by the GGMC."

GGMC bureaucrats need to familiarize themselves with the geography and laws of Guyana before handing out licences and accepting payments for gold dredging. Didn't they know that the locations in question are within Kaieteur Natural Park, which is protected under law?

 

GGMC are well aware of the terrain. When investigating mining concession boundaries, they normally use GPS and can pinpoint infractions accurately.  The destruction of Kaieteur should not be tolerated, not sure who is correct here but we will have to wait and see. 

One of the Bulkans is involved in environmental research. I believe she is part of the AFC/APNU team and was very much involved in criticizing the PPP/Civic government on protecting Guyana's forest from mining and de-forestation.  Where is this Bulkan now?  Is she one of those useless government advisors collecting a fat paycheck for doing nothing but offering political rhetoric?

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

 

One of the Bulkans is involved in environmental research. I believe she is part of the AFC/APNU team and was very much involved in criticizing the PPP/Civic government on protecting Guyana's forest from mining and de-forestation.  Where is this Bulkan now?  Is she one of those useless government advisors collecting a fat paycheck for doing nothing but offering political rhetoric?

Yuh load dis question wid plenty lumber, bai.

FYI, where Kaieteur is concerned, the Bulkans would prefer not to hear/see that name. One young Bulkan died tragically a few years back by jumping from the Falls. Let's be considerate to the family.

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

One of the Bulkans is involved in environmental research. I believe she is part of the AFC/APNU team and was very much involved in criticizing the PPP/Civic government on protecting Guyana's forest from mining and de-forestation.  Where is this Bulkan now?  Is she one of those useless government advisors collecting a fat paycheck for doing nothing but offering political rhetoric?

She is/was at a university in British Columbia, Canada.

Unsure if she is still there.

Jackass Granger doing a wonderful job of alienating the Amerindians. Maybe he doesn't care as rigging is in full swing for 2020.

EMOTIONAL in tone, Village Toshao of Chenapau Edward Mc Garrell related that his people were treated like criminals after they were arrested on Sunday for mining illegally in the protected Kaieteur National Park (KNP).

Joined by 30 others on a protest line in front the Ministry of the Presidency on Wednesday, the Toshao recalled the series of events which led to the arrest of 21 residents of his community after they were accused of conducting illegal mining activities at KNP.
Mc Garrell said that on Sunday after he heard of the arrests, he saw about six residents of his community being escorted by officials of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and soldiers with assault rifles.

“Our people are not aggressive. Tears flowed from my eyes when I saw that because we are not aggressive people; we are peaceful, honest hardworking people trying to earn a living,” the village leader said.
He noted too, that the Region 8 community was severely affected by recent flooding and residents are now trying to start rebuilding their lives. He said there is not much for residents to do outside of mining.
The Toshao also expressed his desire to meet with President David Granger to share the plight of his people with the Head-of-Sate.
“We don’t know if his [President Granger’s] advisors are telling him the right thing. I know many times the advisors carry wrong information. If they are carrying the right information and he is still acting like this, then we would like to know why,” Mc Garrell said, questioning if this was the ‘thank you’ the community was getting from the government after 98 per cent of its residents voted for them in 2015.
Further, the village leader said that the National Toshao’s Council (NTC) of which he is a member, has been made aware of the issue and that body has extended its full support to the miners and residents of Chenapau.

Under threat
Government has said that in an effort to clampdown on mining in Protected Areas, it launched the joint services operation in the Kaieteur National Park (KNP), where the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) had discovered, through aerial reconnaissance, 20 illegal mining camps.
On Sunday, an operation by members of the joint services as well as personnel from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) was launched, following an initial discovery of four active mines, one mine where activity was uncertain, and eight active camps inside the KNP by the PAC on February 16, 2017. Of the five mines, three had already been issued cease orders by the GGMC in 2014, with reinforcement actions as recent as 2016. Despite this and two site visits by the GGMC, following the issuance of the cease orders, at least two of the three mines still remained active, the Ministry of the Presidency said in a release.
A further reconnaissance by the GDF on May 5, 2017, less than three weeks ago, revealed that there were, at that time, 20 camps. At one site, there was evidence of water pollution and freshly exposed sand tailings, according to a report from the PAC. Commissioner of the PAC, Ms. Denise Fraser, in an invited comment, said illegal mining in the area has been taking place for a number of years despite repeated warnings. Predating the above

mentioned cease orders there had been efforts in 2013 to end mining activity in the Park.
“What we have found is that in some areas where miners have been previously moved, they have gone back. So there is a need for strong actions so that a message can be sent. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman also in an invited comment, said that the KNP is a national protected area and it is incumbent on the Government to send a strong message to those who are bent on breaking the law. The Minister noted that only last year six operators were removed from the area. “Last year, we sent a team in and it was during that exercise that we even lost a member of the Guyana Police Force after the boat he was travelling capsized, and yet we have persons returning to the Park and mining. The Government must, therefore, send a strong message to the individuals because it is a national protected area and part of our national patrimony,” Minister Trotman said.

Travelling home

On the protest line too on Wednesday, was Calixtos Francio, one of the persons who was arrested on Sunday. According to him, the mining team was travelling home when soldiers and GGMC officers approached them on a trail and escorted them to KNP. “They brought us to the Park like some criminals with AK 47s. We are not criminals; we are honest, hardworking people. We are looking for a daily bread. They fool us and told us that GGMC officers will be at Kaieteur Park and that we just have to report there. When we reach there they told us we have to go to town,” the distraught man related.
He said that after they were brought to Georgetown, they were taken to Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and were held “like criminals.” The arrested persons, which included 18 men, two women, and a child, were charged and released on Tuesday evening.