TIn an August 28 press release, the Forest Peoples Programme reportsed that the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) issued a request to the government of Suriname asking that “it take appropriate measures to suspend all concessions, including permits and licenses for logging and mine exploration” on the lands of the Saramaka Maroons. The Saramaka are one of the largest Maroon tribes living within Suriname's borders. This request is an important step towards protecting the environmental and human rights of the Saramaka, according to the Forest Peoples Programme. The IACHR, part of a body of the Organization of the American States (OAS), is based in Washington, D.C., and is composed of independent experts responsible for monitoring human rights throughout America and the Caribbean.
