PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Aug 9, CMC – The National Party of Suriname (NPS) is calling on the government to honour the various ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) as the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country observes International Indigenous Peoples Day on Friday.
The global commemoration honours the rich cultural heritage, traditions and contributions of indigenous communities around the world and serves as a platform to raise awareness of the challenges faced by indigenous peoples worldwide.
In a statement, the NPS said it is calling on the authorities to give substance to the judgments and declarations that Suriname is bound by in terms of international law.
It said these include judgments of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights as well as the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007).
“The NPS wishes to emphasize that every judgment of the Inter-American Court has the force of res judicata, because no appeal is possible against it. Suriname has ratified the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights and fully accepts the jurisdiction of the Court, without any reservation. This means that all judgments of the Court must be accepted as part of the current Surinamese legal system and must therefore be fully implemented.
“Suriname is therefore obliged and obligated to respect all judgments of the Court and to implement them immediately,” the NPS said, adding that “the mere fact that Suriname has failed to fully implement the Moiwana verdict for almost three decades after the Moiwana verdict and has so far refrained from implementing the Samaaka and Kalina-Lokono verdicts, does not give Suriname any international legal credit”
The NPS, which walked out of the ruling coalition government earlier this year, said that
The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was supported by Suriname together with all other developing countries in 2007, but the principles of the declaration have not yet been incorporated into national legislation.
“Indigenous peoples and individuals should be free and equal to all other peoples and have the exclusive right to be free from any form of discrimination, in the exercise of their specific and universal rights, in particular on the basis of their indigenous origin or identity.
“Indigenous peoples have a special right to self-determination, which is why the National Party Suriname calls for the implementation as soon as possible of everything that international law has ordered Suriname to do in this regard.”
The party said regarding the Javanese immigration that is also commemorated on August 9, the NPS distances itself from the often heard statement “We Javanese”, noting that leaders should show unity and solidarity by expressing themselves as “We Surinamese”.
“This is important for the joint development of and harmony in our country. The NPS sees every Surinamese as an important link in elevating this country and its people to greater heights.
“In doing so, the party does not distinguish between ethnicity and religion. “Wi na wan” is a slogan that must be applied continuously by every individual. Then we can take the right steps to achieve nation building.
“The NPS therefore advocates tolerance, recognition, acceptance and promotion of the essential interests of all Surinamese, regardless of their ethnic origin, and wishes society as a whole a pleasant commemoration of the Day of the Indigenous and Javanese Immigration,” the party said in its statement.
CMC/gf/ir/2024