Dear Editor,

With the confirmed mapping of our mineral deposits by a foreign nation it is now of paramount importance that the Guyanese people be made aware of all possible implications that may result from such a venture.

The Office of the President has confirmed the pending arrival of a preparatory exploratory team of geological scientists from the Islamic Republic of Iran, a country embroiled in an international debate on its right to develop nuclear capability.

If it is that their sole purpose is to map our mineral deposits then as a nation, we would like to know, firstly, how long will they be here for and under what consensual agreement? Secondly, how will they be paid?

In moneys? Ownership? Developmental partnership? What industrial investments can follow?

And if they were to discover uranium one hundred kilometres from the most important mining town Bartica, what would be the impact on mining gold and diamonds in that area or logging, what is the governments policy on compensation and how will the people of this country benefit? Who will monitor its implementation? Or will we all be kept in the dark, literally?

Yours faithfully,
Carlton Hendriks