Suriname’s Saamaka community demands government prevent industry encroachment

Suriname must protect the Saamaka Maroons in the country’s interior and prevent further encroachment on their lands by extractive industries such as logging, the Association of Saamaka Communities said on Wednesday.
Around 80 Saamaka Maroons, mostly women, arrived in Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo, after hours of traveling from the country’s south, to present the government with a petition seeking environmental protections for the regions they call home.
While Suriname’s government touts the country’s green credentials, much of its territory is covered in pristine jungle, recent decisions to open the country up to bauxite mining and other extractive activities have raised concerns among environmental groups.
Suriname’s southern region, which borders Brazil, is covered in Amazon rainforest.