PHILIPSBURG--Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin said on Friday the “recent unfortunate statements” made by Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok regarding multicultural societies are “by no means… a reflection of Sint Maarten’s position as a Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.”
Blok came under fire recently for saying multi-cultural societies could never be peaceful and that former colony Suriname was a "failed state" because of its diverse ethnic make-up. Romeo-Marlin said, historically, Sint Maarten, with its 125 registered nationalities, has always made a point of embracing this diversity. “As a result, Sint Maarten has managed to maintain its unique position within the region: one island, one people, one destiny. If Sint Maarten had ignored the positive consequences of this diversity, the country would never have managed to maintain itself within the ever-changing social and economic realities of the world. Particularly in the field of culture and all the richness resulting from it, the country would have long ago lost its unique character.”
Sint Maarten, she added, is of the opinion that ministers, representing the Kingdom, should pay more attention to their statements, as they speak on behalf of the Kingdom. “Sint Maarten sincerely hopes that the unrest that has been caused will be resolved in a diplomatic and ethical manner.” She considers dialogue and further explanation important and will enter into dialogue with the Representation of the Netherlands in Sint Maarten on this subject. Sint Maarten also agrees with the formal position of Aruba and Curaçao. “Sint Maarten, seen worldwide as the friendly island, also wishes to keep it that way and not be a reflection of the sentiments expressed by Minister Stef Blok.”
Blok had told a gathering of Dutch employees of international organisations, "Give me an example of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society, where the indigenous population still lives... where they live in a peaceful, societal union. I don't know of any.”
Someone in the audience suggested that Suriname, a former Dutch colony on South America's Atlantic northern coast, was populated mainly by the descendants of Asian indentured workers, African slaves and indigenous people.
"I admire your optimism," he replied. "Suriname is a failed state and that is very much linked to its ethnic composition."
Blok, a member of the conservative VVD party of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, made the comments at the gathering in The Hague on July 10, but the remarks came to wider attention only after the video appeared on Dutch TV programme Zembla on Wednesday.
In attempting to defend himself from the backlash from his statements, Blok said on Wednesday that his "aim was to stimulate an open exchange and to hear the participants’ experiences. "My contribution during the question-and-answer session of the meeting was aimed in part at sparking a reaction from the audience. During the closed meeting, I used illustrations that could come across as badly chosen in public debate."
Suriname, which became independent from the Netherlands in 1975, has had an occasionally-troubled political history.
