APA..Newsletter # 3
National News..Regions 7, 8 and 9 Captains Meet Again to Discuss Concerns about Mining Companies on Their Land

Toshaos from Region 7,8 & 9

Captains from Regions 7,8 and 9 met once again in Georgetown during March to discuss their concerns about Migrate mining on their lands. The captains had met in October, 1999 and since then Migrate has approached some village leaders to sign agreements with them.

Migrate Mining had managed to get the village of Monkey Mountain to sign an agreement with them in which the company got exclusive rights to survey, prospect and mine on their titled lands. No other community has agreed to sign an agreement with the company even though they are continuing their campaign to get the communities to agree to let them survey their lands for gold and diamonds. The APA has learnt that Migrate will be targeting communities such as Taruka, Kato, Paramakatoi, Kamana, Chiung Mouth and Itabac.

The captains maintain that they are not interested in having any multinational company mine on their lands. They feel that mining will destroy the environment and jeopardise their future; that an agreement to survey their land is the first step to mining. They do not consider such an activity as development but as destruction of the environment and their lands.

The Toushaos from Region 9 used the opportunity to voice their concerns about the Lethem/Georgetown road. They feel that the government must first consult with the communities and that Amerindian must participate in the implementation of the project.