It is our position that the Corentyne is a border river, and it is Suriname’s position that the river is a national river.

Herein lies the contention, in addition Suriname’s sudden claim that the New River Triangle is the source of the Corentyne (and thus claiming the NRT and all territory from the NRT to the Kutari/Cutari), when over and over again they agreed that the Kutari was the source of the Corentyne. Maps used by the British and even the dutch support this.

For there to be a change in the maps to show the NRT as belonging to Suriname, it would mean changing the border (at the tri-junction) point with Brazil, something I’m sure they’re not ready to do, since the Treaty signed between Guyana Brazil and Suriname place the tri-junction point (where the 3 territories meet) at the Kutart river (whats funny is that the Dutch were the ones to suggested this point and the other countries simply agreed to it).

I think we should all educate ourselves on the history of this dispute and not view it within the context of politics, i.e. PPP. PNC and so on.

The Minister has her history down phat!

Guyana has a good case if this matter goes to international tribunal and thats what Suriname wants to avoid, instead they wait until we’re having a difficult time at home and then use force and aggression to force us to accept what they want.

Even though we’re a small country with limited resources, it does not mean that we have to accept such treatment when we KNOW we’re in the right.!.!.!

Let me say that the “oil matter” is about exploiting the Guyanese people and fulling the pockets of the corrupt cabal in whose sticky hands, the Guyanese people have placved the country. This “fishing matter” ain’t got big bucks in it for any body in the cabal.

maybe just like how CGX paid for the “oil matter” to go to the UNCLOS maybe some fishermen and sugar boat owners should pay to get this matter to international court/arbitration.

There is certainly enough meat on this particular bone for the Guyana government to fight for in the international forum.
Meantime the Guyana government should invest in shore based artillery to show that all options are being looked at.

The Corentyne River is just too important to just give it away to the Surinamese.

It appears that, at the time, the then Foreign Affairs Minister, Fred Wills and the Burnham administration did not see fit to adjudicate this river boundary at the highest international arena, but settled for kicking the can down the road instead. Their responsibility was to execute on behalf of the Guyanese people and I’m sure that, they would argue that diplomacy was the appropriate choice at the time.

Their actions have brought Guyana to this point in time which was not necessary a bad thing back then. However, your job as the present Foreign Affairs Minister is to decide whether kicking the can further down the road again is a better choice than to adjudicate at the UN.

If your decision is to punt again then diplomacy is the way to go and maybe Caricom might be the obvious venue. It’s like buying time and not solving the problem. However, if the Gov’t of Guyana decides to fight this river boundary dispute at an international tribunal like they did recently on the CXG oil exploration. Then you had better start assembling a team of experienced lawyers who make their living reading fine print and doing legal research, because this dispute could only be won on an argument based on historic technicality of international water ways… Good luck madam Minister this is your moment for Guyana.

Fall, 2003 MARITIME & TERRITORIAL DISPUTES page 51

http://www.law.fsu.edu/Journals/transnational/vol13_1/donovan.pdf

You are asked to visit this website for further enlightenment.

This problem must be resolved

In studying the history of the Guyana/Suriname border, I had learnt that Barbice was once a state/county of the Dutch Territory, and had its’ own governor who had agreed with the governor of the East Bank of the Corentyne River that; “the border between the two states is the high water mark on the West Bank of the Corentyne River.”

Suriname continues to implement this agreement today against the Guyanese Government and People. They are claiming even the exposed land at low tide on the Guyana’s side of the border. This problem must be resolved in International Court.

I absolutely agree that Wills would not have entered into a scandalous agreement with Burnham looking over his shoulders. Our soldiers at the New River Triangle for years kept the Suirnamese at bay. It must be the domestic politics and crime which have weakened the government structure that has given them the guts to try what they are now doing.

We all need to be united and remember “We ain givin up no river dat belong to we”.

Fred Wills was a learned lawyer ,, one who was well respected in the legal circles ,, not only in the c’bean i dare say,, but in the halls of justice in the UK ,,
having said this ,, i feel that what ever Fred said is being misinterpreted ,, and should be given more attention ! there is no way Fred would make such an assinine agreement not with burnham lookin over his shoulders !

we MUST do something NOW ,, suriname is in a tit for tat mind set ,, they r stung by the demarcation arrived at by the int’l court and that soon full scale exploration will commence with the end result being GUYANA as the new KID on the block !,,,,, so they have joined forces ,, with those with ,, to embark on their misguided stratagem of DESTABILISATION !……

This is not a personal attack on Mrs Rodrigues-Birkett, because I don’t know her, however, all of the previous agreements, signings and treaties on this issue must be studied in total from a legal perspective. And I’m talking specifically about before 1966 and British Guiana. Research must be conducted in the Netherlands and London.

This conflict must be solved in the international courts of the UN and not through the diplomatic channels of the Caricom family. And another thing madame Minister, stop being so defensive with the local media they are not the villains here and their job is to query on behalf of the people.

I have bloged about Dr. Jagan’s blunder regarding Suriname’s admission to Caricom and by extension, his unwittingly dismissal of Guyana’s arguements and by so doing Guyana has no valid claims in the eyes of Suriname. That Guyana’s only recourse to settle these issues is to take a full case of border and territorial issues to the UNCLS…..no diplomatic effort and or caricom effort can resolve these matters.

In the same vein of the views expressed in the letter, will she be willing to address my damning contention. Or is it a policy of hers and her government not to respond to real issues but only inconsequential.