Moiwana Human Rights Organization

MOIWANA STRIVES FOR A SOCIETY IN WHICH HUMAN RIGHTS OF EVERY CITIZEN ARE RESPECTED AND GUARANTEED

Moiwana Human Rights Organization was established on the 28th of April 1988 by Mr. E. Stanley Rensch. The establishment was directly related to the slaughter of at least 39 residents of the village of Moiwana on the 29th of November 1986 by soldiers of the Surinamese national army. About 70 percent of the victims were younger than 18 years of age, 40 percent were younger than 10 years and 25 percent were younger than 5 years. There were also 4 babies younger than 2 years amongst the victims. More than halve of the victims were women and children the rest were older men. The younger men had fled the village because of the interior war between the National Army and Jungle Commando. The slaughter happened during the interior war that lasted from 1986 until 1992.

Moiwana submitted the case to the Inter-American Commission on Humane Rights on June 27th 1997, because the Surinamese government had failed to carry-out a formal investigation into deaths.

Trough the years Moiwana implemented various projects in the interest of the observance of the international standards concerning Human Rights.

Moiwana has also lodged cases to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, namely:

THE MOIWANA CASE
On November 29th 1986 the N’Djuka maroon village of Moiwana was assaulted by the Surinamese military. This assault led to the slaughter of 39 elderly men, women (even pregnant ones) and children. Those villagers who were able to flee the bloodshed walked for three days trough the forest until they reached the Marowijne River which they crossed over to French-Guyana.

Moiwana Judgment: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_124_ing.pdf
THE ALOEBOETOE CASE
On the December 31st 1987 more than 20 unarmed maroon men were attacked and attacked, abused and beaten with rifflebuts by a group of soldiers from the Surinamese military. Some of the men were wounded with bayonets and knives and were detained on suspicion of belonging to the Jungle Commando. Most of the men were later released, but seven of them, including a 15 year old boy, remained detained. They were driven to kilometer 30 of the Tjongalanga road where the men were ordered out of the vehicle, given spades and ordered to start digging. Six of the detained men were shot to death. The seventh man managed to escape, even while getting injured during the attempt. He later died at a hospital in Paramaribo.
Aloeboetoe Judgment: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_15_ing.pdf

THE ASHOK GANGARAM – PANDAY CASE
After his return from Holland on November 5th 1988, the soldier Ashok Gangaram – Panday was detained by the military police at the airport in Suriname.  On Tuesday November 8th relatives were informed that Mr. Ashok Gangaram – Panday hanged himself in his cell.

http://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/casos/articulos/seriec_16_ing.pdf

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has sentenced Suriname in all of the above mentioned cases. Transcripts of the judgments can be viewed on the website of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. http://www.corteidh.or.cr/pais.cfm?id_Pais=11

SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT MOIWANA HAS ALSO IMPLEMENTED MANY PROJECTS, SUCH AS:

The 1998- 1999 and 2009- 2010 Moot Court Competition on the Inter-American Human Rights Protection System.
The main purpose of this project is to get law students and young lawyers acquainted with the Inter-American Human Rights System and the method of presenting cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
This Human Rights Moot Court Competition was organized in collaboration with the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. First participants undergo a six month long human rights training. During the Moot Court Competition in 2009-2010 government personnel were also able to undergo the human rights training together with the competition participants. After the training participants receive a fictitious case containing a human rights violation, they then write a petition which they later defend before a mock Inter-American Human Rights Court as either representing the victims of the human rights violation or the State.
Trauma and Domestic violence study 2000
In 2000 Moiwana in collaboration with the Stop Violence against Women Foundation carried out a study into the traumatic aspects of domestic violence; specifically researchers looked at the psychological effects of violence against women. Because of the knowledge gained from this project the Stop Violence against Women Foundation adapted and broadened its policy to also include children and the perpetrators of domestic violence.
The Human Rights Symposium 2007 and Human Rights Festival 2008
On December 10th 2007, Moiwana and the Organization for Justice and Peace organized a Human Rights Symposium themed: “Combining forces to promote the perception of Human Rights”. On December 9th and 10th 2008 Moiwana in collaboration with the United Nations Association organized a Human Rights Festival themed: “Dignity and Justice for all of us”.
Human Rights Education Workshops for Women
In 2009-2010 Moiwana executed the ‘Human Rights Education Project for Women in the Interior’ project which was sponsored by the UNFPA. The project was carried out for women of Indigenous and Maroon villages in the district of Brokopondo Centrum and in the district of Marowijne.

In 2010 Moiwana executed the ‘Human Rights Education Project for Women’. The project was carried out for women of the nation’s capitol Paramaribo.

Moiwana considers itself to be one of the Human Rights Watch Dogs of Surinamese society, working for the advancement of Human Rights for all Surinamese.

Website: www.moiwana.org