Guyanese men trafficked to Suriname were duped with promises of large bonuses

By Suraj Narine

 

The five Guyanese trafficking victims, who were duped into being taken to Suriname, where they were held against their will and forced to do hard labour, said they were promised huge bonuses, if they signed contracts, written in Dutch, to work with the Dutch businessman for a year or two.

Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday, one of the men who spent 2 years and 2 months said he was informed about a job offering $200,000 a month and was picked up in the vicinity of Providence.

“I thought that I was going to work in George-town so I walk with only lil bit clothes,” he said. “He carry me to Nickerie and then to the farm and he made me sign a one year contract. After the year finish, I went and tell he I want go home. He tell me how like I don’t know what I sign for, but how I sign for three years and how I can’t get money.

“When we want rest we can’t rest, we can only rest for a day and after that if we gotta drag we gotta drag and wuk.”

 

Nannie Polder

Two other men told Stabroek News yesterday that they were kept against their will for some 8 months and 2 weeks in a camp at a village called “Nannie Polder”, while they were forced to cultivate a large expanse of land.

“A shop man come and tell we that there was work in Suriname and a man wanted workers to work on his farm,”