Garimpeiro invasion exaggerated - miners Stabroek News April 30, 2000 The mining community believes that the number of illegal Brazilian miners in Guyana has been exaggerated in the New York Times article quoted during the budget debate by PNC front-bencher, Clarissa Riehl. Riehl referred to the article during her presentation on the budget to when appealing to the government to protect the country's resources. While they consider the figures inaccurate, the miners are nevertheless concerned about the administration's approach to the problem of illegal mining by Brazilian garimpeiros, the resolution of which is being sought at a government to government level. A Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) official said that given the number of people employed by Omai Gold Mines (about 1,000) and the bauxite industry in its peak years (about 4,000), the figure cited in the article was extremely high. The official also said that the 10,000 figure exceeded the number of Guyanese miners in the mining areas. Asked if the true total of Brazilians could be hidden because Guyanese miners were being used as surrogates, the official said that since certificates were issued only after careful checking of the holdings of the sponsors he doubted that this was possible. Contacted for a reaction to the article, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) also doubted the figure quoted in the report. Its General Secretary, Edward Shields, however, said that whatever the number, his association was concerned that the Brazilians were not treated in the same way as Guyanese. He explained that a Guyanese without the necessary documentation was subject to prosecution by the police, whereas a Brazilian working alongside him without papers was accorded different treatment. Shields said too that it was in the interest of all concerned that the issue should be addressed quickly. He said that the GGDMA had made recommendations at the request of the government as far back as 1997 as to how the problem could be approached. Among those recommendations, he said, was the establishment of a one-stop procedure for the review and issuing of the relevant permits and certificates to Brazilian nationals who wished to work here. The agency responsible, he said, should have a presence in the mining areas. At present, he said, the Brazilians were concentrated around Oko. Stabroek News understands that Kurupung was another area of concentration, quite apart from those locales such as the New River Triangle, Monkey Mountain and Gunn's Strip which have been occupying the attention of the army over the years. Shields explained that on account of the drawn-out procedure currently in place the Brazilians were being exploited, with some of them being asked to pay enormous sums to obtain the required permits and certificates to operate legally here. He said too that the unannounced raids by the police were serving to reduce the number of Brazilians who wanted to come to Guyana to work in the mining areas. Shields indicated that his association welcomed participation by non-Guyanese in the mining industry but said that there were concerns about the methods some of these non-nationals used. He explained that lately large dredges had been used on which the workers lived, and there was concern about possible pollution of the waterways. Then too some of the non-nationals employed mercury, the use of which is carefully prescribed in the mining regulations. Shields said that if the Brazilians were documented it would be to everyone's benefit, particularly where they were engaged in joint ventures with Guyanese, and such documentation would also assist in terms of monitoring their operations. Stabroek News was unable to contact Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj, for a comment, but miners from the areas involved said they believed that both the army and the police were unhappy with having to treat undocumented Guyanese differently from undocumented Brazilians. With regard to the army, this newspaper understands that it has been discussing a number of initiatives with the lead agencies in the sector to address the issue. In an interview earlier this year, referring to the illegal influx of Brazilians, army spokesman, Capt Wycliffe McAllister told Stabroek News that the GDF was not in a position to seal the border. He explained then that as things stood the army conducted a number of patrols, but he felt that the efficiency of these patrols would increase if the army's transport capability for the terrain to be traversed could be enhanced and its resources for establishing and manning outposts augmented. He said then too that the lack of aircraft had not made it possible for the Air Corps to monitor the border as effectively as the GDF would like. He also said that the GDF had been working closely with agencies such as the GGMC, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the police to ensure the more efficient regulation of the mining sector.