Today's encounter with the Spokesperson for the Maya Leaders Alliance and the Toledo Alcalde's Association gave us the opportunity to ask about the failed litigation against Rupert Myles and the Government of Belize.
You'll remember that 2 weeks ago, Justice Michelle Arana dismissed a lawsuit that Manuel Pop, who was the First Alcalde of Santa Cruz Village, brought against Myles and the Government. They say that the Government and Myles are liable for damages he did to the village's Uxbenka Maya Archaeological Site. He built his house on the site's compound and damaged it when he bulldozed a hill to get access to the front door of his illegally placed home.
The judge dismissed the claim, and so, we asked if the Maya will appeal. Here's how Cristina Coc answered that question:
Cristina Coc - Spokesperson, MLA/TAA
"You will remember the Rupert Myles case. The village of Santa Cruz filed a case against the Government of Belize, and against Rupert Myles, for the incursion that happened on the Maya temple site. This was a trespass case."
"The court decided that they could not continue with the case - that they dismissed the case on the reasoning that it was hard for them to tell if it was a trespass case because the Maya lands have yet to be demarcated, delimited and defined. This is an obligation of the Government. So, it's the government's failure to clearly, define, delimit the territory. That has raised the question of whether or not trespass can be determined. I will give you my opinion and the opinion of the Maya people. This paragraph 4 of the consent order was in fact, was there in order to put in interim measures, as we wait for the implementation. Until such time as Maya land rights have been protected through new legislation, there is a measure to cease and desist from granting any further development on Maya lands that might seek to interfere with the use and enjoyment of those lands. The government also, on their own accord, took a commitment to protect Maya people's rights, through the lands and resources."
"So, the Maya people, their question is are we supposed to continue to suffer, at the expense of dragging for such a long time your feet, and failure to implement this very important decision for Maya Land tenure."
The Government and the Maya are must produce progress reports for the CCJ on the implementation of Maya Customary Land Rights in December. That's when the court will decide on the next compliance hearing.
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