United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is concerned about the violent protests that took place in the center of Paramaribo on Friday, his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said. Some of the security measures that were taken in response to the riots have now been lifted.
Gutteres emphasizes that freedom of expression and holding peaceful gatherings are fundamental human rights that must always be respected. But according to the UN boss, it is also important that protests are non-violent. He therefore urges all relevant parties in Suriname to be ‘reticent’ and enter into dialogue. In this way, Suriname’s problems can be tackled in a constructive manner, the statement says.
Part of the measures taken by the Surinamese government after the riots two days ago will be lifted. Surinamese President Chan Santokhi announced this in a video message on Sunday evening. According to the head of state, normal life is intended to start again from Monday morning.
Shops and petrol stations will be allowed to receive customers again on Monday and public transport will also run again, Santokhi said. Schools will remain closed for another day. The decision to return to normal and lift restrictive measures was taken in consultation with all concerned, the president said.
On Friday, a protest against the government and the poor financial situation in the country turned into riots. The Surinamese parliament building was stormed and destroyed, shops and petrol stations were looted. The police were not prepared for the violence. “We also see this kind of action in Brazil and America,” said Kenneth Amoksi, Minister of Justice and Police after the riots. “We are really not used to this from our community.”
More than 100 people have been arrested and dozens injured. The government imposed a curfew and sealed off the center of the capital. Calm now seems to have returned.
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