Fact-finding report for Chinese Landing issue completed, sent to IACHR – Dr Jagdeo

The report of the fact-finding mission into the issues surrounding mining activities at Chinese Landing has been completed and sent to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party who is also the Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, made the disclosure at a press conference at Freedom House on Thursday.

“That report will be made public shortly, and then you will see the findings, how we arrived at those findings, and what will be the formal response of the government,” he said.

In March, the Chinese Landing Village Council filed a request for precautionary measures to the IACHR, urging that the commission require Guyana to implement measures to protect the rights and safety of villagers.

This request came as a result of alleged threats, harassment, and acts of violence perpetrated by several miners within the area, in addition to the environmental hazards posed by the mining activities.

Following an analysis of the situation, the IACHR declared that the ‘members of the Indigenous Carib Community of Chinese Landing are in a serious and urgent situation’, and outlined several recommendations to be implemented by the government to safeguard the rights and personal integrity of the residents of Chinese Landing.

At a previous press conference, Dr Jagdeo said that the government continues to work on implementing these recommendations. A fact-finding mission comprising representatives from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Health, and the Guyana Police Force, was sent to the area to consult with residents concerning the environmental and social issues posed by the mining activities in Chinese Landing.

Among the recommendations put forward by the IACHR, it was requested that the government consult with members of the village council and community members, and agree upon the measures to be adopted, as well as to report on the actions taken to investigate the events that led to the adoption of this precautionary measure so as to prevent such events from reoccurring

In August, the government temporarily halted mining activities in the community in response to the precautionary measures issued.

According to Dr Jagdeo, “Therefore, there can be no pollution, and no harassment, because there are no miners there,”.