Guyana's diplomatic response was swift and incisive. A diplomatic note to the Surinamese Government confirmed that Guyana had not redrawn its south eastern boundary and could Suriname therefore retract and desist from laying claims to the New River Triangle.

This controversy is rooted in early European colonial rivalry with Suriname laying claim to the 6,000 square miles located south east of Guyana, some 170 miles up the Corentyne River on its left bank. Suriname has argued that it is the New River which properly constitutes the boundary between the two states and not the lower Corentyne river as is currently recognised internationally.

Further, in 1936 survey teams representing the governments of the United Kingdom, Holland and Brazil agreed to the tri-national boundary mark and maps were signed confirming this agreement in June 1936. Developments in European affairs prevented the timely ratification of the boundary when King George V died and further, when European affairs were seriously dislocated with the commencement of hostilities marking the outbreak of the Second World War.

Upon achieving political independence, the border controversy was the subject of a high level tripartite meeting of the governments of Guyana, Suriname and the United Kingdom in London. At the June 1966 meeting the Suriname representative, a Mr Essed, agreed to invite a Guyana delegation for further discussions in Suriname. The invitation did not materialise but in 1967 a number of Surinamese were found trespassing on the Guyana side of the border. The Guyana Government did what was necessary to protect Guyana's territorial integrity by removing from Guyanese soil unauthorised alien personnel. In the immediate aftermath Suriname agreed to refrain from any such provocative actions.

Since then the matter has simmered with Suriname occasionally trying the patience of people of Guyana with its cross border indiscretions. The most serious of these occurred in 1969 when Suriname's National Army encroached on Guyanese territory at the New River Triangle. The invasion was repulsed by the GDF and for a time the military occupied the area. Then an agreement brokered at Crow's Nest, Chaguaramas, the official country residence of the Trinidad Prime Minister, Dr Eric Williams, called the Joint Statement and signed by President Forbes Burnham and John Sedney on 10 April 1970 provided for the demilitarising of the Zone.

Guyana's response was most positive. The military was immediately redeployed. Volunteers were recruited and a cooperative settlement was established at Camp Jaguar where fish ponds were dug and stocked with tilapia; livestock was reared and crops planted. Subsequently, the Guyana National Service pioneers occupied the area. But in truth this was but a brief respite. Suriname never intended to let the matter rest. Severe internal problems did serve to reduce the frequency of intense cross border provocation.

Then, in June 2000, Surinamese naval vessels expelled the Canadian mining firm CGX Energy Incorporated from Guyana's territorial waters and the conflict entered a distinctly new phase. In the immediate aftermath of the CGX episode, Suriname demanded that Guyana recognise her sovereignty over the controversial maritime area. What is more Surinamese took to the use and public display of maps incorporating the New River Triangle. Instances of such provocative behaviour occurred in January 2002 when during his official visit to Suriname, His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo was forced to sit through the viewing of a video presentation which included a similar map. A COHSOD meeting in Guyana was severely embarrassed when as part of the ceremony to launch Carifesta 2003 Suriname presented a video viewing which featured the map of Suriname inclusive of the New River Triangle. Travel documents of Suriname Airline serving in Guyana also contain the offending map. Diaries have even appeared in Guyana's Parliament with a similar map forcing some parliamentarians to angrily excise the offending portion. On occasion there have been effusive apologies from officialdom but the effrontery continues uninterrupted.

In the meantime the National Border Commissions meet regularly. These talks, are for the most part, cordial but there is little to show for the effort. The CGX episode was a serious act of provocation which has infused the Surinamese with a robust sense of what can be achieved in the current circumstance.