Nov 13, 2026
3 min read
The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has condemned an alleged attack on Chinese Landing Toshao Nikita Miller and several residents, while the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) is calling for their arrest over a confrontation in Region One.
Both organisations have accused the other side of wrongdoing following Thursday's incident, which reportedly left several people injured.
In a statement on Friday, the APA alleged that Miller was dragged through the mud, had her clothes torn and was assaulted by miners who also took her cellphone and firearm.
The organisation said the confrontation began when villagers attempted to prevent heavy machinery linked to miner Wayne Vieira's operations from entering the disputed area.
In a Facebook Live broadcast on Thursday, Miller claimed residents had seized an excavator they believed was operating illegally on village lands and were taking it to the mission when they were confronted by mining workers. She said several villagers were beaten and their phones confiscated.
However, the GGDMA alleged that Miller and approximately 15 residents entered neighbouring Kariako Village, where Vieira's employees were working with permission from Toshao Collis Samuels.
The association claimed the group was armed with firearms and cutlasses, threatened an excavator operator and forcibly removed an excavator and an ATV. It further alleged that workers attempting to retrieve the equipment were chopped and that villagers obstructed an aircraft seeking to evacuate the injured.
The GGDMA described the incident as attempted murder and robbery and called for immediate police action.
APA Calls for Government Intervention
The APA wants Amerindian Affairs Minister Sarah Browne-Shadeek to lead a delegation, including the Ministers of Home Affairs and Natural Resources and the Guyana Police Force, to Chinese Landing.
It also criticised the National Toshaos Council for what it described as a lack of action in defending Indigenous rights.
The organisation accused the government of prioritising mining interests over villagers' safety and land rights, citing longstanding complaints about intimidation, environmental damage and threats.
Dispute Over Land and Mining Rights
Chinese Landing received its land title in 1976, which was reissued in 1991. A Certificate of Title issued in 2018 covers approximately 30.06 square miles.
The community maintains that the disputed Tassawini area falls within its traditional boundaries.
While the GGDMA has cited a Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling in support of Vieira's mining rights, the APA argues that the judgment addressed the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission's authority to enforce a cease-work order under the Amerindian Act, rather than settling the wider question of Indigenous land rights.
In 2023, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted precautionary measures for members of Chinese Landing amid concerns about threats and violence linked to mining activities.
