Several prominent voices in society have joined the chorus of disapproval over the depiction of Guyana’s New River Triangle as Surinamese territory at the recently concluded International Business Conference (IBC) held in Paramaribo, Suriname.
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), in a statement, strongly condemned what it described as an infringement on Guyana’s territorial integrity, expressing deep concern over the use of erroneous images.
“Silence in the face of this threat to Guyana’s sovereignty is viewed as an endorsement of the same, which the Chamber considers inexcusable. The GCCI calls on fellow business support organisations and other agencies that played a role in the conference to reject these actions and refrain from supporting or justifying any activity that violates Guyana’s national boundaries,” the statement read.
The Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) also strongly disagreed with Dr Vishnu Doerga, Chair of the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC), regarding his recent statement on the New River Triangle.
“We find it deeply concerning that Dr Doerga suggested an equivalence between Guyana’s sovereign claim to the territory and Suriname’s educational narrative, thereby failing to uphold Guyana’s internationally recognised territorial integrity unequivocally. The New River Triangle is and remains an integral part of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, as affirmed by internationally recognised legal processes. Any suggestion that its status is subject to differing ‘beliefs’ is misleading and does not reflect the binding nature of Guyana’s sovereignty over the territory,” the statement read.
Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud also condemned the misrepresentation.
“Every Guyanese, especially those of us who hold positions of leadership and influence in this country, should know with certainty and conviction the limits of our territory…. The New River Triangle remains an integral and indivisible part of the territory of Guyana because it was determined so by a process recognised as binding under international law,” Persaud affirmed.
He further explained that the boundary between Guyana and Suriname was determined in 1936 when a joint British-Dutch-Brazilian Boundary Commission identified the source of the Kutari River on the watershed with Brazil as the tri-junction point where the boundaries of Brazil, British Guiana, and Suriname meet.
“The New River Triangle has never been recognised nor administered as Surinamese territory, and the appendage of a portion of Guyana’s territory to the map of Suriname neither creates nor establishes any legal rights to it. Furthermore, the current mandate of the Joint Border Commission of Guyana and Suriname is to examine historical records related to unresolved border issues between the two countries and make recommendations to their respective foreign ministers on possible resolutions. The Commission does not have a mandate to revisit the established boundary,” Persaud contended.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Monday reaffirmed that Guyana does not condone the use of the erroneous map and reiterated the country’s position as the internationally recognised owner of the Region Six location.
“The ministry wishes to state that the presence of representatives of the Government of Guyana at the conference in no way signifies the Government’s condoning of the use of a map that incorrectly represents Guyana’s territory,” the statement read.
It further emphasised that the Government of Guyana was not consulted about the map prior to its distribution at the conference, adding that there would have been “strong objections” had the matter been brought to its attention beforehand.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry underscored Guyana’s respect for and acceptance of the agreed boundary, highlighting that the country has exercised sovereignty over and maintained continuous occupation of the territory, including the New River Triangle.
Meanwhile, the organisers of the IBC have disassociated themselves from the erroneous image. The Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce clarified that it does not engage in border discussions and explained that the incorrect map was part of a presentation by an invited speaker.
