Amerindian leaders petition against Linden blockade

Georgetown GINA, August 9, 2012

Forty-five Amerindian Leaders today submitted a petition to the Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai against the Linden blockade.

The petition bearing the forty-five signatures read:

“We the Toshaos and Senior Councillors of North Central, South Central and Deep South Rupununi, Region 9, hereby express our displeasure of the unruly protest in the mining town of Linden.

We further state that we acknowledge the constitutional right of every Guyanese, including Lindeners, to peaceful protest. However, the Linden protest which started peacefully, escalated to protesters blocking the only main public thoroughfare, from vehicular and human traffic particularly to and from Regions 8 and 9 which has brought immense difficulties to the people of the Regions.

The Amerindian Leaders of Region 9 had no option but to make diversion via Rockstone through to Bartica and Parika to attend the annual National Toshaos Conference meeting at the National Conference Centre August 6 – 9, 2012.

This has not only caused inconvenience but brought unwelcome additional cost to bus services of Lethem, including the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. We, Toshaos and Senior Councilors strongly condemn the criminal acts of extremist protesters, as such recommend that the Opposition parties and Government negotiate in a peaceful and respectful manner with the people of Linden to amicably bring the situation to normalcy.”