Akawini forces Barama to withdraw from concession

Akawini forces Barama to withdraw from concession
http://www.kaieteurnewsgy.com/headlines.htm
Kaieteur News, 30 May 2007


Amidst hostility, Barama Company Limited yesterday pulled out its
operations from Akawini, an Amerindian Village in the Pomeroon, in
Region Two.

Yesterday, Chairman of Barama, Girwar Lalaram, visited the community to
meet with residents in the wake of protests by the residents over
Barama's operation there.

Upon his arrival at the Akawini Primary School, several residents
lifted placards protesting the company's presence in the community.

As if set for battle, the furniture in the school were separated into
sections allowing villagers to sit on one side and the officials from
Barama on the opposite side.

With that margin being set, village Captain, David Wilson, who seemed
irritated, began the meeting asking Barama officials to clearly state
their case.

Mr Lalaram took the decision to withdraw from the community after he
was told in no uncertain terms that the residents and Council did not
want the logging company there.

Mr Lalaram stated that the company has dealt with Amerindian
communities in the past. He noted that those relationships have been
beneficial to the lives and standards of the people of those
communities.

“In no way, Barama operating in the Akawini and St. Monica, will ever
attempt to cheat you, to deny you of whatever we are supposed to
deliver to the people and Council of Akawini and St. Monica. I stand
very firm on that,” Lalaram said.

He noted that from what he had learnt, Interior Wood Product
Incorporated (IWPI), with whom Barama has a sub-contract, was supposed
to fulfill some social activities in the area.

These activities included housing, education and helping the community
to build recreation and other facilities.

Lalaram reiterated yesterday that his company will fulfill all the
promises that IWPI failed to execute.

“I would like the Captain and the people of Akawini to tell me what was
promised and I will ensure that those are delivered fully within the
shortest possible time to the communities,” Lalaram stated.

On the issue of employment, he noted that he was told that 54 persons
are employed from the village of Akawini.

He however stated that those persons are in camps in other areas around
Guyana and not at the operation in Akawini.

“I do not know that exact number of people now working in Akawini with
Barama. I am willing to make the investment in the people of the two
villages that are trainable…to train them to work for Barama,” the
Chairman stated.

Lalaram also told the gathering that Barama will not pay any person
below the national minimum wage.

“If they work overtime the standard labour regulation applies where
they are given one and half times the daily wage. If they work through
lunch they are supposed to be provided with a meal allowance. If they
work beyond the work time in the afternoon then they will be given a
meal allowance.

“From a national labour perspective we will comply with all the
regulations,” he noted.

He added that from his last discussion with the company's Forest
Planning Manager, who attended a council meeting, he was informed that
the Council had taken a decision not to maintain any relationship with
IWPI.

“I stand firm, I will have nothing to do with IWPI. They have written
to me indicating very clearly that they are going to challenge Barama
in court... but that is a different issue. If the people of Akawini and
St. Monica decide that they don't want IWPI, IWPI is out… It is now
your decision whether you want to continue to work with Barama or you
don't want to work with Barama,” Lalaram added.

He stated that he is willing to remodel the agreement between the
people from the two villages to reflect certain social commitments and
responsibility to the community and the people of Akawini and St.
Monica.

“Whether you take a position that you want Barama or not, I will be
donating a computer and printer to the children of Akawini and another
computer and printer to the children of St. Monica,” Lalaram stated.

The Captain stated that when IWPI went to Akawini, “we were like ants
and they were like sugar and my people love sugar and they make a lot
of promises and now today our lives are being threatened.

“It was clearly stated on the contract with IWPI that if IWPI wanted to
sub-contract to anyone other person they must consult with the
residents and Council of Akawini,” he said.

He noted that this was not done and IWPI has been lying to the village
council from the inception.

“They have misrepresented my dear Minister of Amerindian Affairs and
even the Ministry of Forestry was misrepresented and now you coming
here and tell me that everything will be cleared up this far? It
can't,” he said to Lalaram.

Following the decision to withdraw, Deputy Captain, Rudolph Wilson
demanded that the company pay compensation to the residents.

“The Barama Company is using us for cutting of the logs and they are
taking it out and they are paying us near nothing and so we are
demanding that the company compensate us for every log that they have
taken from our land at an export price.

We are also demanding that Barama pay us, the employees, wages they owe
to us… That Barama pay the rainforest conservation to make up for the
destruction they caused in Akawini,” the Deputy Captain said.

He noted that the village is also seeking compensation for the
disruption the company caused to their traditional and customary way of
life.

If these demands are not met, he stated, legal actions will be taken.

Speaking with the media following the meeting, the Village Captain said
that Barama is not giving the residents full employment.

“They are polluting our water. They are cutting logs and leaving them
to rot. They are bridging several tributaries of this creek, which is
damaging the water. From time to time the people will suffer from
typhoid and diarrhoea.

“When the people go for hunting in the backlands they cannot use the
water to drink because of pollution. The lives of the people are being
threatened and because of that we are saying that we don't want
anything to do with the company anymore,” the Captain said.

According to the Captain, the decision to withdraw is very welcomed by
the residents since the threats to their lives have been eliminated.

On retuning to the city, Mr Lalaram said, “I took the time to go there
primarily to bring issues to close, that was my objective. They have
put in the press that they have issues. They went to an international
forum and raised issues. My objective was primarily to discuss with
them to see a way forward. Unfortunately I could not have dealt with
the hostility. I never expected protest.

“At no time did the captain or council of Akawini even send a letter of
complaint of any issue that was raised internationally and which
Amerindian Peoples' Association put out in a recent press release.”
(Tusika Martin)