The notorious Indonesian logging company, MUSA, for instance, has recently acquired 800,000 hectares of concessions through a variety of front companies, most of which impact on Indigenous and Maroon communities. These concessions were granted despite widespread official knowledge that MUSA has systematically abused Surinamese forestry laws and the environment for over five years, even to the point of cutting down experimental forests established to research sustainable forestry practices. Indonesian giant, PT Barito Pacific, is also in the process of acquiring a 600,000 hectare concession in central-east Suriname, that encompasses a number of Maroon villages. Barito officials were accompanied by National Army troops and helicopters when they visited the concession area. Malaysian company, Berjaya Berhad, is also active in Suriname, operating both under its own name and under the names of front companies.
Mining companies are mostly Canadian.
Although depresssed gold prices have affected mining operations, these companies remain active in Suriname. Mining concessions affect around half of the Indigenous and Maroon communities in the country. Suriname has no environmental laws and monitoring capacity is non-existent. Members of the military and government are also active in mining and logging, either directly or as concession holders that are optioned to others for exploitation. The interior is being militarised by the construction of military bases and police posts at strategic points, usually in connection with mining or logging operations.