From: Glen Barry
Subject: BIOD: Suriname-No to Multnational Logging
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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
Suriname Maroons Say No to Multinational Logging
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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises
http://forests.org/forests/brazil.html
5/3/98
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY by EE
"Suriname's rainforests are high in biological diversity and endemic
species and are the ancestral homelands of tens of thousands of
Indigenous peoples and Maroons." The country's forests continue to be
targeted for very intensive industrial forest harvests. Local peoples
who lack land rights are resisting.
g.b.
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Title: SURINAME: SARAMACCA MAROONS SAY NO TO MULTINATIONAL LOGGING
Source: Forest Peoples Programme of World Rainforest Movement
Status: Distribute freely, credited to source
Date: April 20, 1998
/** rainfor.genera: 81.0 **/
** Topic: SURINAME: SARAMACCA MAROONS SAY NO TO MULTINATIONAL LOGGING
**
** Written 4:07 AM Apr 23, 1998 by gn:wrm in cdp:rainfor.genera **
FOREST PEOPLES PROGRAMME
Suriname Information Update
20 April, 1998
Saramacca Maroons Say No to Multinational Logging in Suriname
The leaders of twenty-three Saramacca Maroon villages gathered in the
community of Pikin Slee on 13-14 March, to discuss land rights and the
incursions of a Chinese logging company. The village leaders stated
unequivocally that they were opposed to the operations of Chinese
company, NV Tacoba (aka. Tacoba Forestry Consultants) in or near their
ancestral lands. The leaders stated that they want their rights to
own and control their ancestral lands, as defined by international
human rights law, recognized and respected.
Maroons are the descendants of African slaves who fought for and won
their freedom from the Dutch colonial regime that ruled Suriname
until 1975. Their rights to freedom from slavery and to self-
government within their territories were recognized in treaties
concluded with the Dutch in the 18th Century. Since that time they
have been living in Suriname's rainforests, concentrated along the
major waterways. The Saramacca are one of the six Maroon peoples of
Suriname. The present government of Suriname states that it has no
legal obligations under the treaties with the Maroons and does not
recognize their rights to own their ancestral lands. Furthermore, it
has or is in the process of granting vast areas of the rainforest in
concession to multinational logging and mining companies. These
concessions are granted without even notifying Indigenous and Maroon
communities, let alone seeking their participation or approval, even
if their villages fall within the concessions. Presently, at least
two-thirds of the Indigenous and Maroon communities are either in or
very near to logging and mining concessions.
The Saramacca leaders first became aware that a concession had been
granted in their territory when a group of "English speaking Chinese"
arrived in the communities of Nieuw Aroura and Goejaba. They informed
the communities that they were about to begin logging operations. The
Chinese were representing a company called NV Tacoba, a locally
incorporated Surinamese company. The communities later discovered
that Tacoba and other logging companies had been granted multiple
logging concessions in and near their territory. Indonesian company,
Barito Pacific, is also rumoured to be acquiring a concession of
600,000 hectares covering Saramacca and Aucaner Maroon territories
from central Suriname to the Marowijne River, that forms Suriname's
eastern border. Barito representatives recently visited the area
(JaiKreek) accompanied by Surinamese national army troops and
helicopters carrying a letter signed personally by the President of
Suriname. Apparently, a deal was signed with Barito while the
President of Suriname was in Indonesia last September.
In Suriname, it is illegal for one person or company to hold more than
150,000 hectares of concessions without the approval of the National
Assembly (art. 26 Forest Management Law 1992). Tacoba clearly has
more than 150,000 hectares, as do Malaysian company Berjaya Berhad and
Indonesian company, NV MUSA. Barito Pacific also looks certain to
acquire more than the legal limit if they receive (if they have not
already received) the 600,000 hectare concession sought in central-
east Suriname. None of these concessions have been approved by the
National Assembly.
Little is known about NV Tacoba, although it is suspected that they
are a Chinese state-owned company, locally incorporated in Suriname.
Tacoba representatives stated recently that Tacoba's parent company is
based in Hong Kong. It subsidiaries are involved in logging,
shipping, road building and containers. The representatives said that
Tacoba has been working in Suriname since 1993, but it is clear that
it present owners are different from the original ones. Tacoba is
also known to have relations with the former military dictator, Desi
Bouterse, himself active in the timber business as a third party buyer
and other members of Suriname's ruling party, the National Democratic
Party. Suriname recently opened an embassy in China and has been
seeking expanded trade and aid relations. Tacoba seems to be the
first major Chinese investment in Suriname.
One of Tacoba's concessions encompasses the Maroon community of
Dowatra. Reportedly, Tacoba representatives told the village leader of
Dowatra that his community was not allowed to use the forest more than
one kilometer from the village as the area was now a Tacoba
concession. They then stated that if he complained, tried to take
the company to court, he would lose and would be put in jail.
According to community members, they use forest resources up to twenty
kilometers from the village. These resources are used for basic
subsistence purposes. Tacoba has proceeded to construct 15 logging
roads off the main road in the area of Dowatra and is cutting a
substantial amount of timber. This timber is transported
approximately one hundred kilometers north, where it is transported by
river to the coast. Tacoba's logs are loaded into the river at MUSA's
loading dock located at Kromenie. It is unknown if Tacoba has
completed an Environmental and Social Impact Assesment for its
operations: if it has, it has not been made public.
The Saramacca leaders have formed an Association to educate their
communities about land rights and the environment and to oppose the
activities of Tacoba. They have started to map their lands with the
aim of presenting a request for title to the government. However,
prospects for legal recognition through negotiation or recourse to the
legal system appear to be minimal. Suriname is presently the only
country in the western hemisphere that does not have legal,
constitutional or other provisions that account in some way for
Indigenous and Maroon rights to land.
The government has made promises to address the issue, dating back to
1992, but has failed to live up to these promises. Presently, all
land in the interior of the country (approximately 80%) is classified
as state land and Indigenous peoples and Maroons are considered to be
permissive occupiers of state land without rights or title thereto.
If their subsistence activities conflict with logging or mining
operations, the latter take precedence as a matter of law.
Furthermore, Surinamese law does not provide any mechanism for
consulting with communities about the granting of concessions on or
near their territories.
International human rights standards provide that Indigenous peoples
and Maroons have the right to participate fully in decisions, before
they are taken, about whether concessions are granted on their lands.
This right includes the right to information concerning the proposed
activities, companies involved and the nature of the risks posed by
the activity.
Suriname has or is in the process of granting multiple logging
concessions. These concessions most likely amount to well over two
million hectares in total and have been granted to companies with
dubious records concerning the environment and human rights.
Moreover, the government's capacity to monitor the operations of these
companies, despite an infusion of aid aimed at strengthening forest
management institutions, is minimal to non-existent. Also, many in
Suriname question the inclination of the government to monitor company
operations and impose penalties for abusive practices. MUSA, for
instance, which has operated for many years in Suriname, has
persistently violated the law and the terms of its operating permit -
this is widely known in Suriname - has never been fined by the
Forestry Service. In fact, there s never even been an official
complaint against a logging company filed by the government.
Suriname's rainforests are high in biological diversity and endemic
species and are the ancestral homelands of tens of thousands of
Indigenous peoples and Maroons. If the government continues down its
present course, these forests and the peoples dependent on them will
be seriously, perhaps irrevocably affected.
For further information please contact,
Forest Peoples Programme
1c, Fosseway Business Centre
Stratford Road
Moreton in Marsh, GL56 9NQ
United Kingdom
Tel. 44. 1608. 652. 893.
Fax. 44. 1608. 652. 878
Email : wrm@gn.apc.org
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Networked by Ecological Enterprises, grbarry@students.wisc.edu