Two men were killed during a shootout with police after gunmen fired upon and set fire to a police station in Pikin Saron, south of the capital Paramaribo, on Tuesday. Photo: Loop News

Chief of Police, Ruben Kensen confirmed the deaths adding that the bodies have been taken to the morgue.

The police said that a number of employees of the state-owned mining company, Grassalco which operate a gold mine in the area, and who had been taken hostage by the gunmen at the mine in Maripaston, have since been freed.

Police said that the insurgents belong to the Kaliña Amerindian tribe who rioted because they are dissatisfied with the alleged treatment of the indigenous people by the Surinamese government.

The police said that the riot began at around 6:00 am local time and video footage posted on social media showed residents of the area expressing displeasure with the government’s handling of their rights and interests and suggesting that the escalation followed government contempt for their position.

“We are not in favour of violence, but it should now serve as an eye opener for the government,” Runaldo Sabajo, one of the tribal leaders of Pikin Saron, told reporters, referring to the land rights issue.

“We have often indicated that our land is being issued without our consent, but nothing is being done about it. We also spoke to the minister of land management about the lands that were given away and she indicated that she was not aware of this,” said Sabajo.

For years, the indigenous people have complained that concessions and mining rights are granted in their traditional living space by the government to individuals and companies without the residents being consulted.

They said also that the indigenous villages in the area also do not benefit from the economic activities that take place there, pointing to high unemployment in the villages.

The police received support from the army in its operation to quell the unrest. Several units are in the area to restore peace after at least a police station and 10 trucks laden with lumber were set on fire early Tuesday.

The gunmen also attacked the checkpoint of the Suriname Forest Management Authority. Two police officers were injured in the attack.

The government has met in an emergency meeting due to discuss the situation and the area remains tense with the main access road to the area barricaded by residents upset with the killing of the two tribe members.