In October of 2007 the Mayas of southern Belize won a historic victory
in the Supreme Court, declaring that traditional lands in two villages were
their rightful property. Since then, the Mayas maintain that government has
ignored those rights and so in June of last year, they asked the court to make
that same declaration for all 38 Mayan villages in Toledo. The case was supposed
to come to court today and the Mayan Leaders Alliance mobilized four busloads
of villagers from far flung villages to come to the city as a show of solidarity
and support.
They were told to expect a request for an adjournment from government’s
attorney Lois Young but still they came in heavy numbers because right now the
movement for communal rights is under heavy and sustained attack from a powerful
group – the Toledo Cacao Growers Association which represents 1070 farmers.
The association says that its members have not been consulted and that they
want title and lease landholding, not communal property. And so with the Mayan
Leaders Alliance under attack from within its own communities and they feel
also from the outside by the political directorate, the Mayan leaders were outspoken
and angry today at a press conference which started after the case was adjourned
in court.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
About 400 Mayans from 30 villages walked from the courthouse to the conference
room at the Radisson this morning – just a few more steps on a journey
that started at midnight for many of them form remote villages. They filled
the seats at a press conference where they were first addressed by their leaders
in k’echi and mopan telling them that the case had been adjourned until
June tenth. Christina Coc – who spoke in Ketchi was emotional and angry.
And while her emotions were particularly raw, that was the mood of the event:
the crowd was vocal and outspoken, and the leaders were fiery and impatient.
Greg Choc, Mayan Leaders’ Alliance
“We should not be here asking for our land, asking for a piece of
land that we live on when everybody deserves that. Why is our government determined
to tell us you do not deserve a piece of land.”
And government’s actions and inaction in other cases was the subject
of repeated condemnation.
Christina Coc, Mayan Leaders’ Alliance
“I am extremely disappointed as a Maya. As a Belizean I feel personally
insulted for my people. I am sad that our government continues to keep trying
to take us for a fool. The very nature of the way that arguments were presented 
in court today to ask for more time because they are so busy undermines our
very existence as Maya people. Miss Lois Young the lawyer representing the government
even dare to call for an adjournment in this case. The only reason she gave
to us is that she is busy with more important cases. This is an insult to us
and it shows again how the government treats our right as unimportant. This
reflects an old form of discrimination.”
The case will determine the land rights of Mayan communities versus those rights
granted by the Government to farmers such as Francis Johnston – who has
a lease in Golden Stream village.
Greg Coy, Chairman Toledo Alcalde’s Assoc.
“The problem with the land right now is not our problem and it is
the government’s job to work these problems out. The Mayas recognize that
it is important to be fair to others. It is not their fault when the government
leases them land that already belong to Mayan people and leading them to invest
in those land. The current lawsuit began when Mr. Johnston began bulldozing
land in Golden Stream Village. He believes he has rights to those land even
though there were Mayan milpas fields and cacao farms on the land.”
Alfonso Cal, Crops were bulldozed by holder of Gov’t lease
I cannot describe to you like our lawyer has said the anger and the hurt
and the betrayal I felt as I was watching my crops and my livelihood bulldozed
by Mr. Francis Johnston. What hurts me the most though is that the trouble with
Mr. Francis Johnston could have been avoided. It was not the Maya people’s
fault, it is the fault of the government.”
Christina Coc,
“The blame falls not on the communities nor to our justice system.
The blame falls to the government of Belize which continues to violate our rights
as indigenous people for despite the court’s decision and the Prime Minister’s
assurances, the government has continued to grant concessions to lease lands
and to cut timber in our communities without our consent. It is not the fault
of Mr. Johnston, it is not the fault of the communities, it is the fault of
the government.”
And so the Maya leaders invited the government to get with it or fall unto
the wrong side of history.
Greg Choc,
“Not withstanding the unyielding determination of our Prime Minister
to obliterate our rights, I believe that justice will prevail. The Belizean 
people will be right and he will be wrong. We extend this opportunity to you
Mr. Prime Minister: please understand that we will not wait until it is convenient
for you to join us. We cannot afford to wait any longer, not in these challenging
times, not when too much is at stake. We will move forward with or without you.”
But the once thought to be universal community support the Mayan leaders and
land rights has been shaken recently by the public declaration of the toledo
cacao growers association these petitions signed by more than 300 heads of households
from San Pedro Colombia and San Jose who say they don’t want communal
land rights – they want individual title to their land which they can
take to a bank. Choc says it’s just a political ploy.
Jules Vasquez,
Are these people being misled or is this a significant corroding or eroding
of support for your cause?
Greg Choc,
“Jules I think you’ve lived long enough and we are about the
same age to know what this is all about. We know that Minister Coy has his hands
in the latest move to create mischief. Since Minister Coy is representing the
government, we interpret this to be the official policy of the government towards
the Mayas. This is nothing new. We have experienced this sort of pettiness before.
We know this that it is a tactic, an old colonial tactic that all Belizeans,
Creole, East Indian, Garifuna – have had to dealt with and we continue
to deal with it today.”
But asking the cacao growers in this group who support communal rights to show
their hands, Choq said if the Cacao Growers Association has the signatures let
them show the numbers.
Greg Choc,
“I don’t go on national television and say I speak for the Mayan
people, I bring them with me. I challenge the mischief makers to bring those
that they represent to this very place and let them speak, let them speak. In
our journey for justice we’ve never been alone. We always bring our people
from the remote villages of Toledo and as Christina said, some of these villages
started the journey at 12:30, 1 o’clock this morning. I am sure you don’t
get up one o’clock to go to PG Jules. That is the sacrifice that we are
making so I believe this is another miscarriage of justice. They have become
the victims of a system that has become chronic. We’ve been through this.
You’ve covered a lot of our journey so these are the obstacles. We are
aware of it, they are Judases, Jesus had Judas, but in the end their conscience
will in the end work out to be who they really are as Mayans.”
The case has been scheduled for June 10th. Government intends to put
up an energetic defence.
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