‘Ruud Souverein endangers state security’
Text and image Jason Pinas
TIBITI — “We as indigenous people are not prepared to accept this any longer. This nonsense from the government is starting to irritate me too.” Strong language from Lloyd Read, captain of Pierre Kondre-Kumbasi and chairman of the Indigenous Collective of Suriname (Iksur), in conversation with journalists in the Tibiti area on Monday. “As indigenous people, we must now talk to the Maroons, because they remain silent. We must tackle this problem together.”
Read, together with environmental activist Erlan Sleur, among others, checked Alberga Pasi to see if there were any Mennonites in the area. To the disappointment of the village head, this turned out to be the case. Two women and some children were in a camp in the middle of the forest. They stated that their husbands had left for the city and did not know when they would return. The women spoke neither Dutch nor English.
“What we notice is the silence in society. As if people don’t understand it. Erlan is busy like someone crying in the desert. You don’t notice anything about the social field.”
‘Silence’
“Land, our right, is in principle not negotiable for us. We are talking about our future here. You have a number of stingy and greedy people who think of stealing land to bring Mennonites here. The Mennonites are not to blame. It is the people who tempt them here,” complained an angry Read.
As chairman of Iksur, he promises to make himself heard more in the near future. He also calls on civil society to protest against the injustice done to indigenous people and Maroons. “What we notice is the silence in society. As if people don’t understand it. Erlan is busy like someone crying in the desert. You don’t notice anything about the social field.”
According to Read, trade union leaders, the church, journalists and everyone should oppose people who commit attacks on Suriname. “The country is now under threat. It is our country and not of random politicians who think they can do what they want.”
Read points out that in the past the indigenous people fought hard to get their habitat. The captain therefore finds it sad that this group is now being treated this way by the government.
‘Mighty’ Sovereign
Read mentions the failure to implement the Kaliña and Lokono sentences as an example of discrimination against indigenous people. The poisoning of the Saramacca River is, he believes, also proof that politicians do not take the health and safety of people in the interior seriously. “In Pikin Saron they say that if we had taken those five kilometers the poisoning of the river would not have happened… my nose!”
The captain is referring to the Residential and Habitats Protection Act, which would recognize a radius of five kilometers around indigenous villages as a protected area, a proposal by then DNA chairman Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, who is now president. “The same thing would have happened. The government has no control over the hinterland. And we keep chasing the facts,” Read continues. He calls for tougher action from the government.
The Iksur chairman is also not happy with Ruud Souverein, who has presented himself as an advocate of the Mennonites. “Who is that man? I don’t understand how he has so much power. Is it because he has blue eyes? Sovereign simply endangers state security. And I am not going to stand and watch a man here make a mess of the country,” said an incensed Read.
