Honorable Parliamentarians,
We commend your cabinet’s recent historical declarations on July 1, 2019, in commemoration of July 1, 1863, 156 years after your government’s proclamation of the abolition law, finally a sign, a sprout, of compassion and humanity towards the descendants, the diaspora of our dehumanized ancestors, victims of your criminally inhuman economy.
The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Mrs. Ollongren stated “that the government cannot turn back time, but deeply regrets that slavery is part of our common history” and the Minister of Social Affairs Mr. Koolmees confessed: “... that is not only the stories about the past that hurt, but that today’s indifference can do that just as well.” These declarations have lit a flame of hope again in this deepest everlasting dark historical tunnel of Dutch unconsciousness about the racism part of their economy.
We all know that the abolition law of slave trade in 1814 and the1818 law that made participation a criminal offense led up to continued discussions in your parliament. For more than half a century, they debated not the humanitarian beliefs or feelings of shame about this form of commerce, but a defense of the Dutch rationale of economic pragmatism, condemning slavery in theory, but allowing its continuation in practice up to 1863 and beyond. And up to now all your governments have kept yourselves and yours and our peoples in a state of cognitive dissonance through cultural, educational, legal, and colonial manipulation, denying the fact that your government was one of the cruelest colonizers in the world’s history.
In the light of the cabinet’s official recognition of the crimes against our ancestors and thus accepting the responsibility of being the continuation of your predecessors’ racist and economic crimes committed against us, the descendants of the victims, we would like to kindly request you the following:
As it took almost two centuries for your government to recognize and regret that what you did to our ancestors was wrong, criminal and inhumane, we are afraid it may take a similar time-span, another two centuries for your government to apologize, a natural logical human deed.
That as your government seems not to be in the state-of-mind to apologize due to the reasons mentioned above and we would not like to start a discussion with you on reparations as that is impossible in the current colonial occupation you hold us, we would like to ask you and your government that same simple question as your first chair of your first national assembly, during the Batavian constitutional debate, Pieter Paulus asked in 1796: “In which way all human beings can be considered equal?”
Yes, the same question remains today 222 years later: “In which way – Are we, your so-called “Kingdom partners”, who were as recent as October 10, 2010, annexed, re-occupied, re-colonized, and embedded in your constitution under unequal rights against the our free will, – considered equal human beings?
We truly hope that the two honorable Ministers, same as Pieter Paulus was called “apostle of humanity”, they will be called the “apostles of decolonization” and not yet another modernized version of Piet Hein personified by colleague state-secretary and ex-military Mr. Knops who could be portraying Piet Hein, but now by terrorizing us all in the Caribbean with his WIC-VOC mentality and approach and who abuses his powers by unilateral legal actions with your approval.
We wholeheartedly feel that our wish to decolonize is not unrealistic and is as real as Mrs. Ollongren’s realization that time cannot be turned back as she declared. Born in the former Dutch colony Sumatra to Finnish-Swede parents, she possesses a diluted Dutch-ancestral-colonial DNA and her M.A. in history gives her all the possibilities to understand colonialism and its only cure: decolonization. A same miracle we expect from Mr. Koolmees with his doctor degree in social and institutional economics and as researcher at The Dutch Economic Institute he surely must understand that the major part of the riches and wealth which he and his government inherited and benefit today, was acquired through the colonial-slavery-criminal-economy tainted with the blood, sweats, and tears of our ancestors. No wonder he clearly admitted that the indifference today is as cruel and painful as the past, because as an expert he indeed knows.
Finally, we herewith kindly request you to cease being an accomplice to the continuation of Dutch colonialism, declared a crime against humanity by the United Nations and to follow up on your recent brave declarations. Our King Willem-Alexander, as a non-political symbol of Dutch colonial legacy, could lead the re-conciliation and healing process by apologizing with humanitarian compassion and not matter-of-factly based on Dutch economic rationale. In this process, we advise you to reevaluate the role and actions of Mr. Knops. The damage he has done so far to your carefully fabricated humanitarian philanthropic world image can hardly be undone other than through a genuine declaration of remorse followed by an immediate resignation.
To summarize all the above: if you indeed recognize that colonialism is a crime and regret that your government is participating in and supporting it, then please follow up and respect our Bonerian 2015 and Sint Eustatius 2014 referenda, expressions of the voice and free will of our people that legally and democratically rejected the imposed colonial structure. And please, comply with your UN Charter obligations and resume the decolonization process by respecting and restoring our inherited and acquired sacred and fundamental human rights of self-determination and self-governance.
We thank you for your attention and look forward to your compliance, as hope is all we need, that, “one day, we shall overcome.”
Respectfully yours,
James Finies, president Foundation We Want Bonaire Back
Dear Editor,
Presently in both French St. Martin and Dutch St. Maarten, we are seeing the challenges that exist.
And many are calling for us to unite as a people and they do not understand why it is not happening. But St. Maarten/St. Martin embraces wrong values and not patriotism.
The original grassroots foundation was promoting patriotism and love of country and at that time many people turned the blind eye and ridiculed us.
Worst yet they promote a term “local”. What is local? A local is not a St. Maartener.
French and Dutch European can and will always dominate St. Maarten/St. Martin because we have no soul meaning in-depth love and loyalty to the country.
We are weak people always willing to make others fit in and feel comfortable while we are excluded, and then like fools, we wonder why we cannot move forward.
Mark my word, as long as you use the term local you just defeat patriotism because local means all people be it illegal or legal that are living here a long time.
Why should an illegal or legal person fight for St. Maarten, their interest is of financial purpose.
If any people do not put heritage and bloodline first quite frankly they deserve to be oppressed. Your choice is weakness and being weak has severe consequences.
I am a St. Maartener not a local with a French and Dutch nationality. My loyalty is to St. Maarten/St. Martin before Holland and France.
I could care less who does not like me for what I stand for and I will die with that value.
Patriotism defined by me and for me is putting the people of St. Maarten heritage and bloodline first before any other person with Dutch or French nationality.
I dislike very much when I see people of St. Maarten heritage call themselves local, I will lose respect for you.
If the people are afraid to define and to say what is your identity every other identity and nationality by default will dominate or oppress you.
Quite frankly, while I disagree with what Holland and France are doing to St. Maarten/St. Martin I cannot blame them.
France and Holland interest is nationality and by right they’re defending the Kingdom and Republic because they know who they are. Do you?
Our governments on both sides just do not get, define who is a St. Maartener/St. Martiner and make laws to complement our lifestyle and values within the constitution of the Dutch Kingdom and France. My personal opinion is to engage and discuss with France and Holland to come up with a solution how best to fit St. Maarten/St. Martin and stop with the color nonsense.
While most St. Maarten/St. Martin people are of negro origin we also have real bloodline and heritage St. Maarteners who are white and brown also.
You only can fix St. Maarten/St. Martin if you can identify who is a St. Maartener/St. Martiner. Refusal to engage in discussion empowers the European.
My interest as a grassroots St. Maartener is not the same as an Indian or Chinese or Arab or European and it has nothing to do with color, it has to do with lifestyle, culture and bloodline.
Choices have consequences. Choose wisely.
The Patriot Miguel Arrindell
By Alex Rosaria
Pay attention because this week the Caribbean will be the venue of an old dispute between the “two Chinas”. Two Chinas? Since 1949, two countries with the name China exist. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) also known as Taiwan. The PRC claims Taiwan as its province, but doesn’t control Taiwan as part of its territory. Taiwan is recognized by only 17 countries of which 8 are situated in the Caribbean Basin.
The PRC over the last 10 years has spent USD billions in aid to those countries that recognize Beijing. The PRC doesn’t engage in diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes Taiwan. The PRC has been able to use its wallet to convince many countries over the years to dump Taiwan, including the Dominican Republic and Panama. Taiwan is, however, tenaciously holding on to its influence.
Adding to what I have described as the New Cold War in the Caribbean, enters Taiwan the stage. Taiwan’s pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen will spend four nights in the US during her trip to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Haiti from July 11-20. This has angered the PRC which urged the White House not to allow her to visit.
Taiwan’s visit to this area must be seen in a bigger perspective. First, we must consider America’s re-commitment to Taiwan under President Trump. Trump’s very first telephone call to a foreign leader was with the President of Taiwan. Taiwan’s presence here could be a jab at the PRC at a time when Washington is pushing Beijing in the South China Sea and is frustrated with trade negotiation with the PRC, concerns regarding Hong Kong and PRC’s unfettered support of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. Additionally, the US is preparing to sell Taiwan USD 2 billion worth of military equipment.
How this will play out remains to be seen. Taiwan understands very well, however, that with Washington’s commitment, now is the time to re-engage the Caribbean Basin and shore up its diplomatic alliances.
Curaçao recognizes the PRC.
Alex David Rosaria (50) is from Curaçao and has an MBA from University of Iowa. He is a former Member of Parliament, Minister of Economic Affairs, State Secretary of Finance and UN Implementation Officer in Africa and Central America.
Dear Editor,
Road-kill accidents have sent shock waves through the community these days. More young people are dying in road accidents than ever before. I am sad by the fatalities of so many young adults who lost their lives in 2019 by road-kill accidents. It is extremely heartbreaking to their loved ones left behind, who care so much about them. Why are so many fatalities and how can they be avoided?
It will take the awareness of everyone in the community: the police, sociologists, psychologists, friends and families to provide answers to these questions. Sometimes babies are caught up in these accidents as well. In the fast lane many stray animals ended up in road-kill. Animals such as iguanas, mongooses, cats and dogs became victims of fatal accidents. Looking at these innocent creatures lying there makes you feel very sad by the death of these animals.
When it comes to young people as victims, it is always: how could this have happened to someone? Drivers on the road who are victims of substance abuse, or intoxicated drivers, do not let harmful substances take control of your brain during driving on the road. When too much harmful substances are consumed, it will act-up on the central nervous system and the driver may end up in hallucination.
During driving on the road, motorists must be conscious at all times in order to prevent road-kill accidents. Do not become a victim of substance abuse while driving: the life you save might be your own. Life is too precious to throw it away foolishly. Motorists using the fast lanes and highways must pay special attention to all road safety signs. There are many young riders on mopeds and motorcycles still ignoring traffic signs on overtaking. They should be aware of pedestrians crossing the roads, and collision can be fatal.
Too many deaths have been taking place lately, and if nothing is being done to prevent these fatalities, many more lives will be lost. We should respect all motorists and pedestrians using roads and highways in the country. Warning: running red lights and speed limits signs is a crime, and can lead to fatal accidents. Anyone involved in this act will be arrested and prosecuted, especially if found under the influence of substance abuse.
To protect lanes and highways, there must be proper markings on the road with posted traffic signs. Most of the livelihood depends on transporting tourists and local people for a living. If the tourists choose to drive themselves and the motorists driving passengers, or even schoolchildren for a living – there must be good roads with proper posted traffic signs to help all individuals.
The government must stop creating “Jungle Paths” in the country. Dirt roads used by drivers should be surfaced, and damage to asphalt roads and lanes must be resurfaced as well to help prevent road-kill accidents.
Highly paved roads and highways are very important to the local people and tourists. To prevent fatal accidents among people: do we have enough traffic signs posted along the roads, lanes and highways? Are there enough speed bumps and speed limits, right and left turns, and also no entries signs to guide motorists in the fast lanes and highways? However, life in the fast lane will continue its course, and members of the public should exercise caution along the way to prevent other fatal accidents in the future.
Finally, too many innocent lives have been lost. Two important pieces of information are listed here for consideration as follows: to those in education – “he who builds schools reaps men”, (Jose Marti). To the leaders of this country – “if you can’t run the country bring in POPOLANI”.
Joseph Harvey
Dear Editor,
Greetings in God’s name.
Let me get straight to the point, every time you open the paper you hear Mr. Lee or Giterson or the Minister of Justice, but people do forget very fast. They say Minister of Justice is not doing anything when it comes to Mr. Theo. Do you remember when Mr. Fernando scandal his name of the Minister of Justice so bad and all was a lie? Then they lie so bad on Mr. Franc they even lock him up. Then it went on Mr. Johnson Minister of Tourism – then all lies and if they could have locked him up they would have as well.
Now come back to Mr. Giterson: I use to drink as well and nobody who does drink can tell me that they don’t know that you could of drink last night, went to sleep and the alcohol does not leave your blood right away; you get up, you are not drunk but the alcohol is still on your breath. Please stop the stupidness. I am using this because I know, I used to drink more than 36 years and sometimes I feel if I take a blood test rum will be there still and I haven’t drunk a drink for almost 4 years.
They say all kind of things on Mr. Lee because they want him to be their puppet and it can’t work. When they ready they are on the Prime Minister – they say she give away St. Maarten. When are they going to stop and work together?
They say so much about Mr. Marlin. They say Christophe gives away land, before he leaves office he wanted to fix the dump but they would not let him do it, when it has almost everybody dying to check how many people died after Irma and people still don’t have a home.
When Mr. Wathey was ruling people used to get help and then you hear that all kind of things bad. When are the people in office going to grow up and help people? I am homeless but I make my home in a container. God is Great.
I am begging all the ministers to help the people they say they love; they say they love their people and their country.
Stop fighting. Put God in your heart, so stop fighting, ministers. Luc Mercelina know that to vote against Mr. Lee so he did just what they wanted him to do; he forgot how he got on the list, who recommended him – he forgot.
Again the same person he is against today. God doesn’t like bad, he doesn’t like ugly. They have a saying: “Stop spitting in the sky.” Put your heads together and start helping the people. We need help, not only fights. When are they going to stop and care for their people?
From the Homeless
Avril Gumbs
