标签： Suriname

Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons has returned to the country following a series of official working visits to two Latin American and Caribbean nations – Brazil and the Dominican Republic – that have yielded a broad suite of new bilateral cooperation agreements spanning key sectors from public health to diplomatic engagement. The trip marked a major push by Suriname to deepen its economic and diplomatic ties across the Latin American and Caribbean region, according to official government statements.

During the first leg of the tour in Brazil, Simons held formal high-level talks with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The in-depth discussions covered a wide range of shared priorities, and resulted in new cooperation pacts across seven core areas: public health, defense, cybersecurity, agriculture, trade, infrastructure, and energy. The two leaders also used the meeting to exchange views on pressing cross-border issues, including regional integration efforts and global climate action, aligning their positions on shared regional challenges.

After concluding engagements in Brazil, Simons and her official Surinamese delegation traveled onward to the Dominican Republic for the second phase of the tour. Discussions in Santo Domingo centered on three key priorities: boosting bilateral investment, expanding agricultural collaboration, and growing cross-border tourism. By the end of the visit, the two sides formalized new partnerships by signing a total of six distinct cooperation agreements.

One of the most significant diplomatic outcomes of the Dominican Republic visit is an agreement to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries, including a planned establishment of a Dominican Republic embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital. That update was officially confirmed by Suriname’s Communication Service in a post-visit statement.

While in the Dominican Republic, President Simons also delivered an address to the country’s National Congress. In her speech, she touched on a range of critical topics including regional integration, climate change, and collective security. She emphasized that small developing nations face interconnected shared challenges that can only be effectively addressed through coordinated, joint action.

Suriname’s national government has stated that all agreements reached during both visits are expected to drive substantial expansion of economic and diplomatic cooperation between Suriname and the two host nations, laying a long-term foundation for mutually beneficial growth across multiple sectors.

On Tuesday, Suriname’s legislative body, the Nationale Assemblée (DNA), passed an amendment to the country’s 1959 Burial Act with 33 votes in favor, marking a key interim step toward broader modernization of the nation’s funeral and cemetery regulations. This incremental change is designed to introduce clearer, more up-to-date rules for the handling of deceased persons and the management of burial grounds, while government stakeholders work to complete a full, comprehensive revision of the entire piece of legislation.

Government officials frame the newly adopted amendment as a critical milestone in bringing Suriname’s funeral sector into line with 21st century needs. By formalizing updated procedures and official guidelines, the reform aims to strengthen guarantees for respectful, orderly, and hygienic management of remains and public cemeteries. The amendment bill was originally tabled before parliament on January 27, 2025.

During parliamentary debate on the proposal, Minister of Justice and Police Harish Monorath emphasized that the upcoming full review of the Burial Act will align the entire regulatory framework with current social, administrative, and environmental developments. Key areas up for reconsideration during the comprehensive overhaul include regulations for grave reuse, availability of land for new burial grounds, cremation protocols, and standards for alternative end-of-life body disposal methods. Monorath also confirmed that religious groups, cultural organizations, and civil society stakeholders will be actively consulted throughout the full revision process.

Pre-parliamentary review of the amendment was handled by a special Committee of Rapporteurs led by chair Iona Edwards, with additional members Harriët Ramdien, Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring, Le-Roy Doorson, Marciano Dasai, Dorothy Hoever, and Dinotha Vorswijk.

Debate revealed widespread cross-party support for the interim amendment. Rabin Parmessar, parliamentary leader of the NDP faction, noted that the changes earned broad backing within the DNA after a period of constructive cross-faction negotiations. He also reiterated the widespread expectation that the government will follow through on its commitment to deliver the promised full overhaul of the act.

Government coordinator Marinus Bee, speaking on behalf of the administration, confirmed that the comprehensive revised Burial Act will be submitted to the Nationale Assemblée within four months, fulfilling the government’s earlier pledge.

Asiskumar Gajadien, leader of the VHP faction, noted that parliamentary discussions made clear that a full update of the outdated 1959 legislation is an urgent necessity. Following Bee’s formal commitment to the four-month timeline for full reform, the VHP faction agreed to support the interim amendment.

With the adoption of this targeted change, Suriname now has an updated temporary legal framework for its funeral industry, as stakeholders prepare for the more extensive legislative reform that will address all unmet needs in the sector.

On June 3, during an extraordinary session of the Dominican Republic’s National Congress, Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons delivered a landmark address pushing for expanded strategic partnerships between the two Caribbean nations, outlining a multi-sector roadmap for collaboration that spans trade, governance, climate action, and sustainable development.

Simons’ address to the Dominican legislative body came as part of an official working visit to the country, marking a key moment in diplomatic engagement between the two small developing states. In her remarks, the Surinamese head of state emphasized that the bilateral relationship goes far beyond formal diplomatic ties: both Suriname and the Dominican Republic are democratic nations bound by shared core values, with a collective responsibility to advance inclusive growth across the entire Caribbean region.

A central pillar of Simons’ speech was a targeted call to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. She argued that regular exchanges between elected lawmakers and specialized parliamentary committees would create tangible benefits, including improved domestic governance, greater institutional transparency, and more robust democratic foundations in both nations.

Beyond parliamentary collaboration, Simons underlined the urgent need for closer alignment between both public sector institutions and private business communities. She noted that the recently signed bilateral cooperation agreements between the two countries are set to unlock new flows of trade and cross-border investment, while also creating opportunities for joint work in high-priority sectors including education, tourism, agriculture, energy, and climate resilience.

Acknowledging that both nations face shared structural challenges as small developing states, Simons drew specific attention to the disproportionate impacts of climate change that threaten Caribbean communities. To address this and other pressing transnational issues including public safety and sustainable development, she advocated for coordinated regional and international collective action, highlighting that shared challenges require unified response strategies.

In closing, Simons stressed that deepened bilateral cooperation carries enormous mutual upside: stronger ties will allow both countries to fully leverage their untapped economic potential, driving growth and opportunity across key sectors ranging from tourism and professional services to small and medium enterprise development.

A high-stakes political controversy has erupted in Suriname after 537 kilograms of seized mercury was stolen from a secured storage container located on the grounds of the Geyersvlijt police district, prompting harsh questioning of the country’s Minister of Justice and Police, Harish Monorath, before the National Assembly.

The stolen mercury was originally seized by authorities on March 14, and stored in a locked container at the local police headquarters pending disposal. Monorath confirmed to lawmakers that all 11 containers holding the contraband, totaling 537kg of the toxic material, had vanished. According to the minister, Suriname currently lacks the specialized infrastructure and regulatory processes required to safely destroy seized mercury, forcing authorities to hold the material in secure police storage long-term.

Monorath told the assembly he was first notified of the break-in on a Friday afternoon. Investigators have confirmed that while other items were held in the same storage facility, only the mercury was taken by thieves. The case has sparked particular outrage because the Geyersvlijt police compound also hosts the Regional Assistance Team Paramaribo, a specialized law enforcement unit, making a large-scale theft from the site deeply embarrassing for the national police force. Monorath publicly described the incident as “serious, disappointing, reprehensible and condemnable”, adding that the theft on secured police territory is unfathomable to him.

Lawmakers across party lines have pushed for accountability and a full transparent investigation. Mahinder Jogi, a member of the Assembly from the ruling VHP party, delivered sharp questioning to the minister, demanding to know how such a large theft could occur, who bore responsibility for the site’s security, and whether the minister would accept political consequences for the failure under his portfolio. He closed his questioning with the blunt, widely shared public question: “Where did the mercury go?”

Rabin Parmessar, leader of the opposition NDP bloc, rejected Monorath’s initial explanation as insufficient, calling for a deep, independent probe that covers all aspects of the incident: the circumstances of the theft, the inadequate security protocols at the site, the functionality of on-site CCTV surveillance, and the performance of local police leadership. Parmessar stressed that the incident is a major stain on the national police institution, which relies on public trust to carry out its core duties.

Stanley Betterson, an Assembly member from the ABOP party, emphasized the urgent need to address gaps in integrity within the national police corps. While he stopped short of calling for the minister’s immediate resignation as an automatic fix, he said Monorath must implement strict, active oversight to root out corruption and misconduct, and that clear, decisive action must be taken against “bad apples” within the police force responsible for the security failure.

In response to widespread criticism, Monorath confirmed that a full criminal investigation was launched immediately after the theft was discovered. He noted that he is withholding many details of the ongoing probe to protect investigative integrity, but pledged that every possible resource is being deployed to uncover how the theft was able to happen on police-owned territory, and to recover the stolen mercury.