The conversion of land into ownership has been agreed upon by the VHP and the ABOP/PL. During the opo yari (opening of the year) meeting on Saturday night in Nieuw Nickerie, Minister Bronto Somohardjo, the party council secretary of Pertjajah Luhur, stated that individuals might convert up to 10,000 m2 (1 ha) of land in land rent into ownership. Also on the table is the question of land rights.
The draft law to further revise the Decree on the Issue of Domain Land is up for review by the National Assembly. Asis Gajadien, the group leader for the VHP, and Dinotha Vorswijk, a former assemblywoman, have proposed this proposition (ABOP; now Minister of Land Policy and Forest Management). The scale of the land conversion received a lot of criticism throughout the discussion of this draft bill. For some time, the treatment was continued.
The topic of land rights is another popular one. Tuesday afternoon’s schedule also includes the draft statute for Indigenous and Tribal Peoples on Collective Rights. There are still numerous topics, nevertheless, where no consensus has been reached. Additionally, Suriname is sanctioned internationally. The law has to be updated to reflect current international standards.
The rights of Indigenous and Tribal peoples are crucial, according to Somohardjo. Their legal claims must be resolved. He made the case that the Javanese community has rights as well. She ought to have more influence on policies. Twenty district commissioners, he claimed, but none of them are of Javanese ancestry. He thought it was past time for the Javanese to assert themselves. He asserts that only when there is harmony among that group can this occur.
