Urgent Alert from Suriname: Indigenous Peoples in Danger and a Call for International Action
- GTI PIACI GTI PIACI
- May 5
- 3 min read
Suriname is at a critical crossroads that demands the urgent attention of the international community. Home to 91.4% primary forest—one of the planet’s vital lungs—this territory has been ancestrally inhabited and protected by more than 20,000 Indigenous Peoples. However, a deeply alarming contradiction persists: the Surinamese state does not legally recognize their collective rights, including the fundamental right to territory.
This omission violates international obligations and binding rulings from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) issued since 2005. The International Working Group on Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (GTI PIACI) issues this urgent call in light of the grave vulnerability of these peoples—especially those who have chosen isolation.
A Structural Omission
Suriname is one of the few countries in South America that completely ignores Indigenous Peoples in its Constitution and laws. This results in:
Legal Invisibility – They are not recognized as collective subjects of rights.
Territorial Dispossession – Their ancestral lands lack legal protection from external interests.
Lack of Cultural Protection – Their identity, languages (over 20 spoken in the country, though only Dutch is official), and ways of life are under threat.
Although Suriname voted in favor of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007, its domestic legislation does not recognize Indigenous Peoples or their collective rights. The country has also not ratified ILO Convention 169, the principal binding instrument on Indigenous Rights.
The Kaliña, Lokono, Trio, and Wayana peoples, among others—who together make up around 3.8% of the population (2012 census)—continue to see the State grant mining, logging, and oil concessions on their lands without their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Territories Under Siege: The Extractive Threat and the Vulnerability of Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact
The absence of legal safeguards has deadly consequences. According to the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), nearly half of Suriname’s national territory has already been concessioned to extractive industries—dangerously overlapping with lands and resources vital to Indigenous Peoples' survival. Even recent proposals, such as the 2021 draft Framework Law on collective rights, have been blocked by economic and political interests prioritizing territorial exploitation (Forest Peoples Programme, 2024).
This pressure is especially critical for Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI), whose presence has been documented in the country. Their physical and cultural survival depends entirely on the integrity of their ecosystems and on the strict respect for their decision not to be contacted. Any unauthorized intrusion represents an existential threat due to their immunological vulnerability and dependence on an undisturbed environment.
Despite historic and binding rulings by the IACHR (Moiwana 2005, Saramaka 2007, Kaliña & Lokono 2015), which explicitly mandate the guarantee of collective and territorial rights, the Surinameese state continues to fail to act.
A Legislative Window of Opportunity
The National Assembly is currently debating a Framework Law for Indigenous Peoples. This legislation represents a historic opportunity for Suriname to (albeit belatedly) fulfill its international obligations and take a step toward socio-environmental justice.
However, the process is facing intense pressure from economic and extractive interests that seek to strip the law of its substance by excluding essential guarantees such as:
Recognition and titling of ancestral lands and territories
The obligation to obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)
The right to self-determination
Failure to approve a strong law—including specific protections for PIACI territories—during the current legislative session would mark a devastating setback and further entrench the extreme vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples.
Urgent Call to Action: International Support is Crucial
The situation is critical. The Indigenous Peoples of Suriname—especially the PIACI—are in imminent danger. Indigenous organizations such as the Organization of Indigenous Peoples in Surinamee (OIS), together with allied international networks, have launched an urgent petition directed at Surinamee’s National Legislative Assembly.
The petition calls for:
A constitutional reform that explicitly recognizes Indigenous Peoples
The approval of a comprehensive Framework Law guaranteeing their collective rights (territory, FPIC, self-determination) in line with international standards
The immediate suspension of new concessions in Indigenous territories until legal safeguards are in place
Specific and effective measures to protect the PIACI and their untouchable territories
As key actors committed to defending human and environmental rights, your support is vital. Your voice is essential to amplify this alert across your networks and platforms and to help urge Suriname’s Assembly to act in defense of Indigenous rights.
Sign the Petition NOW for Indigenous Rights in Suriname
Your signature is a concrete act of support for human rights, justice, the protection of the Amazon, and for those who inhabit and safeguard it—including Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact.
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