Information Update
10 June 1997
Golden Star Resources, Cambior and Nieuw Koffiekamp: Tribal Rights and
Mining in Suriname
On April 29, 1997, Canadian companies, Golden Star Resources and Cambior
Inc., formally notified the people of the Maroon community of Nieuw
Koffiekamp that they must be relocated from their land to make way for an
industrial gold mine (see, letter from GSR, below). Nieuw Koffiekamp lies
within the Gross Rosebel concession in North-central Suriname where GSR
have been exploring for gold since 1994. The community was not informed
or consulted about the granting of the concession and the companies are
maintaining that their rights by contract supersede the rights of the
community. To make matters worse, Nieuw Koffiekamp was relocated
previously from its ancestral lands in 1963-4 to make way for a
hydroelectric dam that powers the bauxite refining operations of SURALCO,
a subsidiary of US company, ALCOA.
Nieuw Koffiekamp through its representative body known as the Kollektief,
rejected the companies' arguments in favour of relocation as self-serving
and insufficient (see letter from Kollektief, below) and continues to
demand that it be proven to them that it is "absolutely necessary" that
they be relocated. At least 80% of the community are opposed to
relocation. The words "absolutely necessary" are taken from Art. 6.11 of
the Mineral Agreement signed between Golden Star, the Government of
Suriname and Surinamese, parastatal, GRASSALCO. Golden Star's partner in
the infamous OMAI mine in Guyana, Cambior Inc. of Montreal, exercised its
option to acquire 50% of Golden Star's interest in early 1997.
Article 6.11 reads:
The Private Parties will not unlawfully disrupt or bother the living
conditions of the indigenous people, if present, established at the moment
in Gross Rosebel. The Republic of Suriname will not require, encourage or
allow additional settlement in Gross Rosebel during the time this
agreement is in effect. Without prejudice to the preceding, the Private
Parties will adapt to and urge their employees and contractors to respect
the customs of the indigenous people c.q. to have these customs respected.
If at any moment the relocation of a village turns out to be absolutely
necessary, the Private Parties will use the utmost caution, with the
consent of the Republic of Suriname and in consultation with the
authorities of the village, to convince the inhabitants to move and will
bear the expenses for an totally adequate relocation programme, in
accordance with the instructions of the responsible Minister.
With regard to the first sentence, the community has long maintained that
their traditional way of life and economic activities have been severely
disrupted by the operations of the mining companies and that they have
been subjected to intimidation and human rights violations in violation of
both Surinamese and international law. Indeed, Surinamese human rights
organization, Moiwana '86 has stated that, in its opinion, at least 8
articles of the American Convention on Human Rights have been violated,
including the right to human treatment, since the companies arrived at
Nieuw Koffiekamp. For instance, company security guards working
collectively with the police and the heavily armed, paramilitary Special
Police Support Group have fired live ammunition at or over the head of
villagers found in areas in which the companies have deemed off limits.
After adamantly denying that this was going on, Golden Star admitted that
it had occurred on one occasion. However, documentation exists that
shows that it has happened more than just once.
With regard to the requirements for relocation, the community is demanding
that all relevant information on the proposed mine and its potential
effects be turned over to them; that they be given enough time to
understand the information, with the help of experts if necessary; that
their traditional decision making processes be recognized and respected;
and that the Government must legally recognize the land and resource
rights of the community. Suriname remains the only country in the Western
hemisphere that does not in some way recognize Indigenous and Tribal
rights to lands in its legal system.
The Kollektief believes that there is no reason that the community and the
operations of the companies cannot peacefully coexist, provided that both
parties respect each others rights and interests and the Government
recognizes the community's rights to own and control its lands and
resources. However, the companies and the Government insist that the
mine and the community cannot coexist. If coexistence is not possible,
Nieuw Koffiekamp says that Golden Star and Cambior, as visitors in their
house must be the ones to leave and not the village, as the owner of the
house.
____________________________________________________________________________
Letter from David Fennell, President and CEO of Golden Star Resources to the
Village Council of Nieuw Koffiekamp.
Paramaribo, 29 April, 1997
The Village Council of Nieuw Koffiekamp
Attn G.A. Eersteling
M. Pryor
F.D. Lila
Nieuw Koffiekamp
District Brokopondo
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This letter is to advise you that the partners Golden Star Resources,
Cambior Inc. and Grassalco will be completing a feasibility study for
the mining of gold deposits in the area of Gross Rosebel in early May
this year.
It is the Companies' intention to begin the development of this project
in the near term. It has been requested that the companies formally
notify the village and explain why it is necessary for the village to
relocate. The mining plan contemplates the construction of open pits in
the area of Royal Hill. These pits will be within 500 meter[s] of the
current location of the village.
For the following reasons it is necessary to relocate the village:
1. Safety: An active mine operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; the
use of equipment and explosives would create a dangerous environment,
which may result in injury to villagers if they were exposed to it.
2. Further, the general disturbance caused by mining is incompatible
with trying to maintain a residential community.
3. The presence of active mining will prevent the presumed agricultural
activities in the area.
4. Because of the dangers amount there is a high need to provide a high
degree of security. This security could restrict the villagers'
activities to a great degree and prevent the villages from carrying out
their day to day activities.
Primarily for these reasons it is necessary to make this advice. The
company is prepared to work with the community to develop other sites in
the area to relocate the village so that they both may prosper.
In order that the village understands the impact of mining the partners
arranged to host the representatives of the village at a final mine run
by the partners in Guyana [Omai Mine]. Two trips were made and a total
of 12 villagers were shown what a mining operation is.
We trust that this satisfies the inquiry you have made.
Yours truly,
D.A. Fennell
President and CEO
___________________________________________________________________________
Letter for the Nieuw Koffiekamp Kollektief to David Fennell, President and
CEO of Golden Star Resources
Original in Dutch
From:
Koffiekamp Kollektief
P.O.B. 2982
Paramaribo
To
Mr D.A. Fennel
President and C.E.O.
Golden Star Resources
Herenstraat 8
Paramaribo
May 28, 1997
Dear Sir,
In reference to your letter dated last April 30 concerning the necessity
of relocating the village Nieuw Koffiekamp and the official notification
of our village council, we ask your attention for the following.
As we were informed by your letter of April 29, the main issue is about
achieving harmony between the safety of the village people and the
mining activities of your company. In the opinion of the `Kollektief'
the arguments 1 to 4 in your letter earlier referred to, cannot be
regarded as the absolute necessity as stated in article 6.11 of the
mineral agreement between you and the government.
We are aware - and this has been demonstrated in other mines operating
24 hours a day - that a model can be found, and that there are
sufficient technical possibilities to combine the activities of your
company and those of the village people. Therefore we do not feel that
the arguments put forward by you constitute an absolute necessity for
the relocation of our village, but are more in the nature of an easy way
to reach your goal.
The village council and the village people, having together established
an organization appointed by them called "Het Kollektief", in order to
collect all necessary information, have requested this Kollektief to
inform the Ministry and the Task Force Relocation Nieuw Koffiekamp about
your attitude.
Furthermore, we would like to call your attention to the fact that we
have not been given detailed information and that the visit of 12 of our
village people to mentioned project in Guyana does not constitute
technical proof that the combination of both our activities is
impossible. Apart from that it has come to the attention of the village
people that a new village, not far from their present one, is being
built. This village will be accessible only to the staff members of your
company. The `dangers' mentioned by you apparently do not apply to this
village.
If it is your opinion that the daily activities of the village people in
the vicinity of the mines will constitute a danger to themselves, we
would like to bring to your attention that the safety of the people
could be guaranteed by a proper and intensive collaboration between the
daily management of your company and our Kollektief.
Furthermore the report of the 12 people [who were taken to the OMAI mine
in Guyana, ed. note] has not demonstrated to us that the situations in
Guyana and Suriname are the same. The latter case is about people who
have an emotional relation with the land, people who have lived and
worked for tens of years in this area. Therefore, this case needs to be
studied carefully before we can conclude that the village indeed needs
to be relocated.
Considering the above we ask you again to receive our Kollektief in
order to examine what the technical possibilities are to combine the
activities of the village people and those of your company as well as
possible, at least your company has to investigate together with the
Kollektief if the circumstances constitute an absolute necessity as
stated in the agreement you have entered.
Yours sincerely,
Begeleidingscommisie Koffiekamp Kollektief
E Vijgeboom
President
cc: Minister of Natural Resources
Minister of Regional Development
Task Force Relocation Nieuw Koffiekamp
____________________________________________________________________________
For further information, please contact:
Forest Peoples Programme
1c, Fosseway Business Centre
Stratford Road
Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9NQ
United Kingdom
Tel. 44. 1608. 652. 893. Fax. 44. 1608. 652. 878
Email : wrm@gn.apc.org
Forest Peoples Programme
1c Fosseway Business Centre
Stratford Road, Moreton-in-Marsh
GL56 9NQ, England
email: wrm@gn.apc.org
tel: +44 (0)1608 652893 Fax: +44 (0)1608 652878
The Forest Peoples Programme is an affiliate of the World Rainforest Movement.