Last night, told you about the allegations that the Government of Belize raised against the Maya Communities of the Toledo District. They pointed out what they said were persistent reports that they have been receiving from private landowners in that southern district. The Government said that the Maya are allegedly aggressing private landowners for properties that they believe should be returned under the 2015 judgment.
Today, 7News has received a copy of a letter in response that Domingo Bah, the President of the Toledo Alcaldes Association wrote today to Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Indigenous People's Affairs.
President Bah says, quote, "We write to express our deep concern and disappointment at the recent press release issued by your Ministry… The release has come to us as a surprise since, at the May 16th meeting, both sides committed to desisting from issuing sensational public statements on matters affecting the implementation of the Consent Order. We note that the release offers no tangible assistance to any of the relevant parties, and serves only to frame conflicts between villages and private landowners as fodder for the segments of the public that oppose the Consent Order and Maya Land Rights in Belize…
Conflicting interests between private landowners and villages are germane to the Consent Order. The government is aware that these are not new, or unexpected. Yet, the release presents these as exceptional and intrinsically unjust to private landowners, no matter context, impact, or history between the parties. Significantly, the release… fails to inform the public that the outcome of these conflicts is not a foregone conclusion, and that part of the implementation process is the establishment of a dispute resolution mechanism that would enable parties to resolve these conflicts.
The letter concludes, quote, "it is extremely distressing and regrettable that the Government has issued this statement to the public without even attempting to inquire about these issues with us or address a particular dispute. The release simply makes broad and sweeping statements that present a skewed portrayal of the relationship between the villages and these purported private landowners." End quote.
The TAA President goes on to ask that the government recall the press release and honor its commitment to respectful and constructive dialogue that builds trust between the Parties.
