Akawini moving on to its own sustainable forestry operation

http://www.kaieteurnewsgy.com/news.htm
Akawini moving on to its own sustainable forestry operation
Kaieteur News, 16 June 2007


Akawini's Village Toshao David Wilson and attorney-at-law David James,
of the Amerindian People's Association (APA), yesterday told media
operatives that the Akawini Village Council was categorical in its
denial of the allegation by Chairman of Barama Company Ltd, Girwar
Lalaram, that Akawini wants the Barama Company back in the village.

The comment came when Akawini and the APA hosted a press conference at
the Raddison Suites in Queenstown, Georgetown, to clarify their
position in relation to Barama.

James added that rather than the Council asking to have Barama back
after it has destroyed many of the prime species, the Council has in
fact started an initiative to start its own sustainable forestry
operation.

A delegation from the Council has already sought information from the
relevant stakeholders on the specifications of the logs to be
harvested, and will start on a small scale to retail locally.

Chairman of Barama, Girwar Lalaram, had told Kaieteur News that the
Captain and villagers of Akawini had indicated that they want the
logging company to establish a direct arrangement with the village.

Wilson retaliated, “I have not visited, nor has the Village Council
visited, the office of Mr. Lalaram during last week to negotiate any
direct agreement with Barama. In fact, no one from the Council has
visited the Barama office in months.”

“It appears that Barama has resorted to lies and fabrication to save
face,” Wilson said.

James also told the media that Wilson (Akawini Toshao) and the Village
Council are contending that the decision to have Barama vacate -- which
was made at the meeting with Barama in Akawini on May 29 -- is final.

“The Council is asking that the company leave peacefully and to desist
from carrying out the threats to destroy the roads in the village,”
said James

The Council, according to James, is discussing with a law firm
possibilities of legal action, given that the Ministry of Amerindian
Affairs has not offered any help.

Lalaram had said that the Captain and other persons visited his office
lobbying for a direct arrangement with the company rather than the
sub-contract that Barama had with Interior Wood Products Incorporated
(IWPI).

This statement was also refuted by Wilson, who indicated that apart
from the monies owed by Barama, IWPI owes the Village Council an
estimated $10 million.

He noted that the sum accumulated from outdated cheques that were
returned to the company for updating but were never reissued to the
Council.

The Council is also asking that Barama pay all outstanding money to
Akawini workers who worked with them for months without being paid.

In response to the statement by Lalaram that IWPI cut only 99 per cent
of the peeler logs, the delegation provided media operatives with a
copy of a document purportedly from the ‘Camp In-charge, Pomeroon' to
Emery Song, documenting the logs harvested for April 2007.

According to the document, IWPI, on behalf of Barama, logged Baromalli
(sanctioned for logging), Bulletwood, Crabwood, Kabukalli, Locust and
Purpleheart among others, all of which were not sanctioned for logging
by the company.

The delegation also highlighted what it called a breach of contract in
only hiring a maximum of 16 workers, whereas the agreement was for at
least 80.

The delegation also provided a copy of a pay slip dated October 2006 in
the name of one Frederick France of the IWPI /Pomeroon department, for
a net pay of $21,000, which is below the minimum wage of Guyana.

The delegation also raised another issue, saying that the works
conducted by Barama have interfered with their livelihood, wherein the
streams are now either blocked or polluted.

They added that income has also been lost given that a number of the
non-timber resources in the forest have been lost, such as Mucru, which
is traditionally used for fashioning nibbi furniture.

“At the rate Barama was harvesting, the people of the village now feel
a sense of security now that Barama is gone…If Barama had stayed for
three more months, the likelihood for a sustainable harvesting
operation would not have been there…Based on records, what they
(Barama) harvested in one month we could have taken 13 years,” said
Wilson.

Akawani Village Council plans sustainable forestry

http://www.guyanachronicle.com/news.html

Akawani Village Council plans sustainable forestry
Guyana Chronicle, 16 June 2007

OFFICIALS at yesterday’s press conference
MEMBERS of the Akawani Village Council who have ousted the Barama
Company from logging operations in their village are to launch out on
their own sustainable forestry operations.

The Toshao of the village Mr. David Wilson yesterday said the council
will seek to obtain funding from the Guyana Micro Projects Program
(GMPP) as a means of providing employment for villagers and uplifting
the quality of life in the community following the ouster.

The Amerindian community in Region One (Barima/Waini) signed a contract
in February 2006 with Interior Woods Products Incorporated(IWPI)
allowing Barama to log in the area.

They, however, terminated the contract on May 29 because they were not
seeing any tangible benefits from the arrangement and had become
convinced that they were being exploited.

They alleged that IWPI was logging the last remaining forest of the
Akawini village and in so doing was threatening their livelihood and
violating their rights as indigenous peoples.

Chairman of Barama, Girwar Lalaram had earlier been reported in another
section of the media as saying that some members of the community
wanted the company to return to the village.

He had said the Captain and other persons from Akawini had visited his
office lobbying for a direct arrangement with the company rather than
the sub-contract that Barama had with IWPI.

He added that this was the very proposal he put forward to the
community when he visited about two weeks ago and they rejected it.

Lalaram had also been quoted as saying Barama had invested some
US$500,000 in roads and infrastructural works in that area and had
already completed some 20 km of road at the cost of US$8,000 per km.

He had, however, added that Barama was cutting its losses and moving on
and that there was no way he would consider continuing the operations
in Akawini after the way his company was treated by the community.

At a press conference yesterday held by the Amerindian People’s
Association (APA), Wilson denied that the villagers want the company
back into the village.

He said that neither he nor anyone from the council had held any talks
with anyone in Barama Company about changing their minds and allowing
them back into the village.

Wilson stressed that the decision made by the District Council that
Barama must leave the village was final.

Others representing the APA at the press conference were Mr. David
James, Attorney–at-Law and Mr. Howard Cornelius, a Councillor of the
neighbouring village of Wakapao.

James said the contract which the Village Council of Akawini had signed
with IPWI had been hopelessly biased in favour of that company.

He said it was an agreement which had put the villagers at a terrible
disadvantage and had cost the community millions of dollars.

He said steps were being taken to ensure that the principle of Free
Prior Informed Consent is applied to any other such agreement with any
other Amerindian community.

He disclosed that the APA is seeking to educate its members so that
they can protect themselves from exploitation by individuals and/or
companies which seek to do business in their communities.

Guyana put on U.S. TIP “watch list” • urged to step up prosecution

http://www.kaieteurnewsgy.com/Archive/JUNE%2007/13/index.htm

Guyana put on U.S. TIP “watch list”
• urged to step up prosecution
Kaieteur News, 13 June 2007

Guyana is now on the United States “Tier 2 Watch List” for its failure
to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in
persons (TIP) over the past year, particularly in terms of convicting
and sentencing human traffickers.

The U.S. 2007 TIP Report, released yesterday by the U.S. State
Department, firmly stated that the government should aggressively
investigate and arrest suspected traffickers, and make every effort to
move their cases through the criminal justice system.

“The government also should expand training for judges and magistrates
who handle trafficking cases, especially in remote areas, where the
bulk of trafficking occurs,” the report noted.

Countries placed on the watch list in the report will be re-examined in
an interim assessment to be submitted to the U.S. Congress by February
1, 2008.

Guyana had previously bypassed the “watch list” category and entered
onto the list of countries at Tier 2 after a countrywide campaign was
launched by the government in response to a previous report which
listed the county at Tier 3, the worst possible rank. The report issued
yesterday stated that the government sustained prevention efforts
during last year, and continued awareness campaigns via print and radio
media, and launched a widespread anti-trafficking education effort
before the Cricket World Cup in April 2007.

However, the U.S. report stated, Amerindian girls from the interior are
trafficked to coastal areas for sexual exploitation, and young
Amerindian men are exploited under forced labour conditions in timber
camps. In some instances, victims are abducted.

Additionally, Guyanese women and girls are trafficked for sexual
exploitation to neighbouring countries such as Suriname , Barbados ,
Trinidad and Tobago , Venezuela , Brazil , and the U.S. , the report
stated.

The U.S. report added that while the Guyana Government does not fully
comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking,
it is making significant efforts to do so.

The report cited the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, which
became law in 2005 and which prescribes punishment ranging from three
years to life imprisonment, penalties which are sufficiently stringent
and commensurate with those for rape and other grave crimes.

However, the government has yet to obtain an anti-trafficking
conviction.

Six criminal cases were opened against alleged traffickers in 2006,
with two of the cases being dismissed, and four are still pending.

According to the U.S. report, this represents a modest increase from
2005, when three prosecutions were initiated.

It added that prosecutors report that rural magistrates remain
unfamiliar with the new trafficking law, and cases tried in the capital
move at a slow pace due to the judicial backlog. There was reliable
evidence of some public complicity in trafficking by lower-level
officials, and a conspiracy charge was filed against a police officer
for such an offense in 2006.

The U.S. State Department recommended that in the coming year the
government should intensify its efforts to expedite cases against
traffickers, as recently emphasised by Minister of Human Services and
Social Security, Priya Manickchand.

She had called for speedy trials in trafficking cases and urged police
to do more to encourage reporting of trafficking crimes.

The report noted that Guyana made modest progress in providing victim
assistance during last year, while it included limited NGO funding
assistance in its 2007 Budget and provided training for police and
public officials on identifying trafficking victims. Victims' rights
are generally respected, and there were no reports of victims being
penalised for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked,
the report noted.

According to the report, Guyana is principally a source country for
men, women, and children trafficked within the country for the purposes
of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour.

Technical training should be expanded to reach officials in rural
areas. Guyanese law enforcement officials worked with counterparts in
neighbouring countries to share information on international
trafficking cases and to assist victims.

Governments that fully comply are placed in Tier 1, while, for other
governments, the U.S. considers whether they are making significant
efforts to bring themselves into compliance.

Governments that are making significant efforts to meet the minimum
standards are placed in Tier 2, while governments that do not fully
comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant
efforts to do so are placed in Tier 3.

• The Special Watch List criteria are considered and, when applicable,
Tier 2 countries are placed on the Tier 2 Watch List.

Every TIP report is vigorously investigated - Manickchand

http://www.kaieteurnewsgy.com/Archive/JUNE%2007/14/index.htm

Every TIP report is vigorously investigated - Manickchand

“We will not manufacture charges to satisfy any statistic.”
Kaieteur News, 14 June 2007

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, has
mixed reactions to Guyana's placement on the United States' “Tier 2
Watch List” for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) over the past year, particularly
in terms of convicting and sentencing human traffickers.

In brief comments, yesterday, Manickchand told Kaieteur News that every
single reported case of TIP is vigorously investigated with a view to
getting a conviction.

But she added that Government will not call for conviction, since every
suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

She added that the U.S. report did recognise the efforts being made by
Government to address the problem, especially the enactment of the
Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, which spells out stiff
penalties for offenders.

However, the report also noted that Government has yet to obtain an
anti-trafficking conviction.

“We will not be manufacturing any charges against anyone to satisfy any
statistic, but we continue to work with the Guyana Police Force to
vigorously investigate any reported cases of human trafficking,”
Manickchand stated.

The U.S. 2007 TIP Report, released on Tuesday by the U.S. State
Department, firmly stated that the government should aggressively
investigate and arrest suspected traffickers, and make every effort to
move their cases through the criminal justice system.

The report also recommended that Government expand training for judges
and magistrates who handle trafficking cases, especially in remote
areas, where the bulk of trafficking occurs.

Manickchand conceded that there needs to be swifter hearings in TIP
cases, noting that approaches will be made to the judiciary to have the
issue discussed.

At the beginning of the year, Manickchand, in addressing the issue of
prosecution of suspected traffickers, had called on the police to do
more to encourage reporting of trafficking crimes and had expressed
dissatisfaction with the pace at which the cases were proceeding in the
courts.

The U.S. report noted that six criminal cases were opened against
alleged traffickers in 2006, with two of the cases being dismissed, and
four were still pending.

According to the U.S. report, this represents a modest increase from
2005, when three prosecutions were initiated.

It added that prosecutors report that rural magistrates remain
unfamiliar with the new trafficking law, and cases tried in the capital
move at a slow pace due to the judicial backlog.

There was reliable evidence of some public complicity in trafficking by
lower-level officials, and a conspiracy charge was filed against a
police officer for such an offence in 2006, the U.S. report noted.

The U.S. State Department recommended that in the coming year the
government should intensify its efforts to expedite cases against
traffickers.

The report noted that Guyana made modest progress in providing victim
assistance during last year, while it included limited NGO funding
assistance in its 2007 Budget and provided training for police and
public officials on identifying trafficking victims.

According to the report, Guyana is principally a source country for
men, women, and children trafficked within the country for the purposes
of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour.

The U.S. report stated that Amerindian girls from the interior are
trafficked to coastal areas for sexual exploitation, and young
Amerindian men are exploited under forced labour conditions in timber
camps. In some instances, victims are abducted.

Additionally, Guyanese women and girls are trafficked for sexual
exploitation to neighbouring countries such as Suriname, Barbados,
Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Brazil, and the U.S., the report
stated.

Guyana had previously bypassed the “watch list” category and entered
onto the list of countries at Tier 2 after a countrywide campaign was
launched by the government in response to a previous report which
listed the country at Tier 3, the worst possible ranking.

Countries placed on the watch list in the report will be re-examined in
an interim assessment to be submitted to the U.S. Congress by February
1, 2008.

Akawini Village seeks $10M from Barama in unpaid debt

http://www.kaieteurnewsgy.com/news.htm

Akawini Village seeks $10M from Barama in unpaid debt

Kaieteur News, 15 June 2007

The Akawini Village Council Toshao, David Wilson, is contradicting the
statements issued by Chairman of Barama, Girwar Lalaram, which
suggested that the Council had indicated an interest in having the
logging company continue its operations in the village.

Wilson said that the Council had observed the steady depletion of the
surrounding forests and, therefore, sought to evict the logging company
on the grounds that “the operations were seriously hampering the
villagers' ‘Amerindian' way of life.”

The Toshao said, too, that Barama, through the Interior Wood Products
Incorporated (IWPI) with which a sub-contract was signed, owes the
Akawini Village Council in excess of $10 million in outstanding monies.

He said that the only interest the Council has in the logging company
is in the payment of the large outstanding sum.

Further, Wilson denied ever confiding in the Barama Chairman, who
suggested that the village was misled by the Amerindian People's
Association (APA).

He denied that the village wants the company to make alternative
logging arrangements.

According to Wilson , the APA is the only Amerindian Association that
has managed to maintain the trust of the people of Akawini Village ,
and it has never advised them against the benefits of the people.

Wilson did, however, confirm that the company has complied with the
villagers' request and has begun removing its equipment, adding that
the company is also seeking to take with them the logs that have
already been cut.

He said that Barama, during its time of operations, sought to cut down
only the major species, reducing the chances of the villagers to
recruit another logging company to maintain a steady and level income.

Two weeks ago, during an official meeting with the community, Barama
was forced to shut down its operations at Akawini after the residents
told the company's management that the village wanted the logging
operations to cease.

During the meeting, intense lobbying was carried out by the logging
entity to maintain its operations in the village.

The Amerindian community had signed a contract with IWPI allowing
Barama to log in the area.

The Village Council is claiming that it never saw the supposed contract
which was signed between the two companies.

The Toshao also revealed, yesterday, that reports were made to the
Ministry of Amerindian Affairs suggesting that there was some level of
embezzlement in the Council.

This, he said, resulted in the request for an immediate internal audit
into the Council's spending, and the temporary suspension of payment to
the Council, with the cheques being withheld by the Amerindian Affairs
Minister.

Upon completion of the audit, Wilson said, the cheques were outdated
and therefore could not be encashed.

He said that he had approached the IWPI to rewrite the cheques, but
that request was denied.

He added that there has since been no assistance from the Amerindian
Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues, who he claims is partially
responsible for the financial position of the village.

Wilson said that a neighbouring Amerindian village, St. Monica, has
been pleading with the logging company to remain in that village.

He added that the company may likely refuse, since most of the valuable
species were taken from Akawini.

With reference to the infrastructural works that the logging company
undertook at a cost of US$500,000, Wilson said that the road was built
more to the benefit of the logging company than to the village.

He said that the road construction has destroyed several major
waterways and dams. He pointed out that the company, in its dismantling
process, is wittingly destroying the very roadway in an effort to spite
the village.

President accuses U.S. of double standard

http://www.kaieteurnewsgy.com/news.htm

TIP report…
President accuses U.S. of double standard
Kaieteur News, 15 June 2007

President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday accused the United States of having
double standards on human trafficking which is considered the modern
day form of slavery.

The Head of State was responding to Guyana's placement on the United
States's “Tier 2 Watch List” for its failure to provide evidence of
increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP) over the past
year, particularly in terms of convicting and sentencing human
traffickers.

“If the U.S. were to be judged on the same standards that we are being
judged they will be on Tier 3, the worst scale…with hundreds of young
girls, teenage girls who are trafficked from Central America into
slavery into the United States of America. There are hundreds of that
and we don't have that in Guyana,” President Jagdeo stated.

He echoed statements by Human Services and Social Security Minister,
Priya Manickchand, who said that Government will not be manufacturing
any charges against anyone to satisfy any statistic, but will continue
to work with the Guyana Police Force to vigorously investigate any
reported cases of human trafficking.

The U.S. 2007 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report, released on Tuesday
by the U.S. State Department, firmly stated that the government should
aggressively investigate and arrest suspected traffickers, and make
every effort to move their cases through the criminal justice system.

The report also recommended that Government expand training for judges
and magistrates who handle trafficking cases, especially in remote
areas, where the bulk of trafficking occurs.

Ms Manickchand had conceded that there needs to be swifter hearings in
TIP cases, noting that approaches will be made to the judiciary to have
the issue discussed.

The U.S. report noted that six criminal cases were opened against
alleged traffickers in 2006, with two of the cases being dismissed, and
four still pending.

According to the U.S. report, this represents a modest increase from
2005, when three prosecutions were initiated.

The U.S. report stated that Amerindian girls from the interior are
trafficked to coastal areas for sexual exploitation, and young
Amerindian men are exploited under forced labour conditions in timber
camps. In some instances, victims are abducted.

Additionally, Guyanese women and girls are trafficked for sexual
exploitation to neighbouring countries such as Suriname, Barbados,
Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Brazil, and the U.S., the report
stated.

Guyana had previously bypassed the “watch list” category and entered
onto the list of countries at Tier 2 after a countrywide campaign was
launched by the government in response to a previous report which
listed the country at Tier 3, the worst possible ranking.

The Akawini Village Council is losing millions due to bad advice

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56522484

The Akawini Village Council is losing millions due to bad advice
Stabroek News
Friday, June 15th 2007

Dear Editor,

I refer to a letter captioned "Who did Mr Peter Persaud really
represent?" (07.06.07).

I wish to deal with this letter as per paragraph starting from the
second.

2nd paragraph: In relation to the Akawini issue, I never seek to cast
blame on others. I knew who the persons were who influenced and
maliciously advised the Akawini Village Council (AVC) to make a bad and
unpopular decision which resulted in the withdrawal of Barama from
Akawini. As a result of the AVC's decision, the village is losing
millions of dollars which could have been used to push the community's
development process. Those persons who badly advised the AVC know who
they are and should declare publicly why they had done a disservice to
themselves, their organizations, to the people of Akawini, the Region 2
RDC and the government. I was carrying out my modus operandi and so far
I am proven to be correct and better yet if an investigation is carried
out by the relevant authorities.

The fact that the AVC was badly advised was a blatant violation of the
principle of self determination where the AVC was not allowed to make
its own decisions. It is now apparent that while the old Amerindian Act
was outdated and paternalistic, there are Amerindian Organisations that
are now practicing neo-paternalism and in this case Akawini became a
victim. In this modern world indigenous peoples need to make informed
decisions that determine their development goals without being attached
to any Amerindian organization or for that matter any other
organization.

I had discussions with two senior members of the APA on the Akawini
issue but they were more interested in my "connections" to the Barama
Company than finding solutions amicably on the Akawini issue which at
the time was already blown out of proportion. Nevertheless, I informed
them, even though the meeting was confrontational, that the Akawini
village did give their consent through a transparent process to the
IWPI for forest harvesting to take place on their lands. Also they knew
about Barama's role. The forest harvesting agreement was signed after
the Akawini residents had studied the agreement. The village council
and residents were very happy with the agreement and were now awaiting
the start of forest harvesting operations. However, the Honourable
Minister of Amerindian Affairs said that the agreement between IWPI and
the AVC needs to be amended to provide for more benefits to the Akawini
community. In the meanwhile the project was shelved. I was totally now
out of the picture and was never informed about events that followed
from the AVC. Also I never saw the agreement that was amended by the
Honourable Minister.

3rd paragraph: I cannot recall telling the Akawini people that I was
"the Amerindian representative" in the earlier discussions with them.
Normally I would tell people at engagements with them that I am a
representative and member of The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana
(TAAMOG). But many persons know me to be representing the Amerindian
Peoples of Guyana so if the designation of "The Amerindian
representative" was referred to me in any note-taking and those notes
were read I would have certainly objected. Moreover, no member from any
of the other Amerindian Organisations can claim to be "the Amerindian
representative".

4th paragraph: There was no opportunity to state my opinions to the
representatives of the APA on the inspection tour of Barama's
operations at Buckhall and Akawini because these two Organisations had
already stated their positions in a Press Statement carried in the
Stabroek News (24.05.07) which called on Barama to cease its Akawini
logging about a week before the inspection tour. Also the APA member
while being all along with the touring team never gave an indication
that there would have been a picketing demonstration - and that another
APA member was already in the Akawini village.

The APA and GOIP were harbouring illusions because with my
"familiarity" with the Barama officials,they claim I was on the side of
Barama and not Akawini. This is immaturity on the part of both
organizations and also an unqualified generalization. I am totally and
absolutely committed to the rights of indigenous peoples of which I am
a part and I am eager for them to be incorporated into the money
economy of this country. Indigenous peoples lack the technical and
financial capacity to use their resources for their own development and
I see no reason for them not to form partnerships with either the
government or the private sector to bring about the transformation in
their respective communities. I think that this should be one of the
approaches for Amerindian peoples development. But this kind of
partnership between Barama and Akawini village was killed by persons
who waged a campaign of hate against the Barama company while pursuing
their own agendas both at the national and international levels. While
they may be proud for what they have done, the residents of both
Akawini and St Monica villages are at the crossroads of doom. I trust
that the wider indigenous community take note of this.

5th paragraph: Any investor can invest in any indigenous community of
his/her choice provided the correct application of the procedures is
followed. These procedures are contained in the Amerindian Act 2006.
For both the APA and GOIP to know, the Akawini village council and
residents knew about Barama's role in forest harvesting from the start,
that was why they accepted payments for logs harvested even though the
company was called a "trespasser". Further, no indigenous organisation
should claim that an Amerindian community is its absolute preserve.
Because I am known to represent indigenous peoples issues, I was
invited to attend the initial meeting between IWPI and the Akawini
community. I used the opportunity to ensure that the Akawini community
gave its free, prior and informed consent to the IWPI for logging
operations to take place on its lands. This was done which resulted in
the signing of the initial agreement by this village council and the
IWPI officials. The APA and GOIP seem to have difficulties in
understanding which of the agreements the village council signed for
forest harvesting to actually take place, whether it was the initial
agreement that I knew about or the Hon Minister's amended agreement
that I did not see. Their accusation of me being unable to represent an
issue is therefore false and misleading to both the general public as
well as to the international community.

I visited the Toshao in Akawini to impress on him to meet with the
Barama officials to engage in preliminary discussions to set the stage
for bringing to an end the problems between Akawini and the IWPI. The
Toshao said that his council was prepared to work with Barama and not
the IWPI and that he was prepared to meet the company's officials at
any time. The Toshao also said that he was going to Switzerland with
the APA to complain against the IWPI at an International forum. At this
time I realized that the situation had become contaminated.

6th paragraph: TAAMOG will hold its Annual members conference on the
28th -29th October 2007 to elect new office bearers and Executive
Committee members to manage the affairs of the organization. The APA,
GOIP and NADF will be asked or invited to send one representative to
attend this two day event. Our Constitution is entitled "The Amerindian
Action Movement of Guyana Constitution".

Mr Editor, I do not use the press to spread groundless statements and
accusations. I speak the truth when it becomes necessary because this
is a reflection of my style and upbringing.

Yours faithfully

Peter Persaud

President

TAAMOG