From: murthy@ssd.dl.nec.com (Vasudev Murthy)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: Guyana: Indians denounce Commonwealth project
Date: 14 Apr 1992 11:35:15 -0500
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

 From: NativeNet@gnosys.svle.ma.us
 Subject:      Guyana: Indians denounce Commonwealth project
 
 Original-Sender: wrm@gn.apc.org
 
 
 Press Release                                  13 April 1992
 
 GUYANESE INDIANS DEMAND HALT TO COMMONWEALTH FORESTRY PROJECT
 
 Indians from the interior of Guyana have called for a halt to
 US$45 million 'sustainable forestry' project being backed by the
 British Commonwealth. The project, which sets aside some 3,600
 square kilometres of tropical forests for 'sustainable'
 management, is being held up as a showpiece of environmental
 cooperation between North and South.
 
 President Hoyte today opens a conference on 'Sustainable
 Development through Dialogue' organised by the Commonwealth Human
 Ecology Association near London, at which the 'model project'
 will be presented and discussed.
 
 The project, which is being elaborated with support from the
 United Nations Development Programme and the British and Canadian
 aid programmes, has also been put forward for funding by the
 Global Environment Facility, run by the UN and the World Bank.
 
 However, the Amerindian Peoples Association of Guyana announced
 in a Press Release dated 11 April that 'it believes the project
 should be halted until adequate protective mechanisms have been
 created'.
 
 The APA notes that more Amerindians are being affected by the
 project than the project report has accounted for and one
 community is already 'suffering from the fact that hunters from
 the United Dutch Timber company (which operates a neighbouring
 logging concession) are depleting stocks on which their
 livelihood depends.'
 
      'Amerindians were not consulted prior to this project being
      established. Nor were any studies published which assess the
      impact of this project on Amerindian life. Amerindians as
      a source of information for companies producing medicinal
      products is cited as an important benefit from the project.
      No mention is made, however, to compensating them for this
      invaluable information. Like the forests, minerals and
      rivers, Amerindians are seen as simply a resource to be
      exploited.'
 
      'The APA wishes to record its protest that this project is
      moving ahead and calls for it to be suspended until adequate
      studies have been made on its likely impact on the lives of
      Amerindians.'
 
 The project is also been opposed by the Guyana Human Rights
 Association, which announced in another Press Release of 12 April
 that the project should be deferred. 'This project was never
 discussed with the people of Guyana, either directly with those
 affected by it, or in the parliamentary context. The project has
 no democratic legitimacy' the press statement reads.
 
 Doubts have been raised about the seriousness and viability of
 the proposed project. Preliminary versions of the project set
 aside 400 km2 for mining, while the rest of the project area was
 to be divided between 'sustainable forestry' (logging), at
 unrealistically high rates of timber extraction, and an off-
 limits area dedicated to biogenetic research for new medicines.
 
 The reserved area is cut in two by the new Brazil-Guyana highway,
 which is being created with Brazilian Government money and by a
 Brazilian mining transnational to give northern Brazil easy
 access to a Caribbean port.
 
 Marcus Colchester of the World Rainforest Movement commented:
 
      'This highway puts in jeopardy the forests of central
      Guyana. Uncontrolled border crossing, by miners and traders,
      is already a major problem in south Guyana and once the road
      opens right through to Georgetown the traffic will cause
      major ecological and social problems - a flood of colonists
      is inevitable.'
 
      'High-level spokespeople for the Guyanese Government have
      already admitted to us that the Government lacks the
      institutional capacity to police its southern frontier or
      regulate the mining and logging industries. Yet, the
      Government is promoting a massive increase in these very
      activities. The ecological damage of the mining is severe
      and the industry is clearly out of control. Now huge logging
      concessions have been handed out to foreign companies,
      including a Malaysian company with a track-record of
      unsustainbale logging and of conflict with the Dayak peoples
      of Sarawak.'
 
      'The Commonwealth project is a diversion from what Guyana
      really needs, which is a major slowdown in opening up its
      hinterland to foreign interests. However, instead of curbing
      this out-of-control 'development' of the interior, the
      Government is promoting fig-leaf projects like the
      Commonwealth scheme and the extension of the Kaieteur
      National Park which are absorbing all the international and
      national environmental concern. It is measure of the
      irresponsibility of the international development agencies
      and conservation bodies that they are allowing themselves
      to become party to this kind of 'greenwash'.'
 
 For more details: Marcus Colchester, World Rainforest Movement
  Tel : 060 876 691
 



-- 
Vasudev Murthy          Any opinions expressed are strictly  
murthy@ssd.dl.nec.com   my own  and have nothing to do with
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