Dear Editor,

“… requests the government [of the Netherlands], to have a consultation with the government of Sint Maarten to … see in what way The Netherlands for a period of 5 years can play a role in the maintenance part of the enforcement of the legal order on Sint Maarten.” To avoid mingling in the authority of autonomous Sint Maarten it was stated to distinguish in that perspective ‘authority’ and ‘maintenance’ and just see to the ‘maintenance’ part.

This text above is from is a resolution adopted October 2019 by the Dutch Parliament based on a feeling that the law enforcement aspect is lacking behind in St. Maarten (for example, the upgrading of the prison and many other things).

The main reaction in SXM was that the resolution is felt as a Dutch “takeover” and is not welcome at all because “we are autonomous and decide our future ourselves”.

However, the way I read it (and I might be wrong on that) there seems no “takeover”. The Dutch parliament just asks (if I read it well) to start talks with SXM to see in what way The Netherlands can support or facilitate “in the field” (maintenance) with the execution of law enforcement tasks, not with the management, keeping with the latter the authority where it is and should be; at St. Maarten itself. One might see this as a chance to ensure the Country SXM for 5 years of some extra support “in the field” of law enforcement, but as said before, many recent opinions in SXM published were critical on this.

One might say: “We can do it very well ourselves and need nobody else around,” but that might probably not fully be the case here when reading the opinion of the Law Enforcement Council (in Dutch: Raad voor de Rechtshandhaving) as published May 2018 on their website (see text below).

“In previous reports before the gaining of the autonomous status of St. Maarten, it has already been found in several reports that the island will not be able to guarantee the required level of law enforcement independently. However, it was opted to charge the country of St. Maarten with law enforcement as an autonomous task.

“Looking back on 2017 and given the current state of affairs, the question arises again whether the country will be able to guarantee its obligations in the short and/or medium term. Without the full attention of the Government of SXM, the availability and allocations of sufficient resources, policy making, awareness and an answer to the question: ‘Where do we want to go with law enforcement?’, the Council considers that the country will not be capable of fulfillment.

“That is why it is important to find either a way in which St. Maarten will be able to guarantee law enforcement or to set up a way of cooperation with which it can exercise the autonomous task. The latter seems to be a more realistic and viable solution than the first one. Within the kingdom, legislation already offers the possibilities, which to date are not optimally explored. Willingness to co-operate is even more important.” (end of quoted text)

So I suggest, just have a talk with the Dutch State Secretary and see what SXM can gain from this, keeping full authority ourselves.

The Law Enforcement Council (the Council) is a legal entity in which Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Netherlands (insofar as it concerns the BES-islands [Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba – Ed.]) take part. The Council is based on the Kingdom Act of the July 7, 2010: the Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council. The Council is charged with the general inspection of the organizations of the judicial chain – with the exception of the common Court of Justice – in Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The Council looks thereby at the effectiveness, the quality of the performance of duties and management.

Geert B. van der Leest

Dear Editor,

  I come to understand how hatred and wickedness can destroy a country from within. The electorate of St. Maarten must stop falling for this false notion that Holland is causing members of the executive branch and parliamentarians to be locked up. If any person does not follow the procedure or laws that are prescribed in the Constitution or government ordinance, they become liable for not adhering to the law.

  Please explain to me if a minister or parliamentarian breaks a law how is it Holland's fault. Let me tell you why people get locked up, it is because of ignorance of what they should have known, or because they are too stupid and get caught.

  That is not Holland's fault, that is that individual’s own fault. In all legal systems, you are provided with the rules of engagement and staff to help you fulfil your endeavours legally through the system. It is up to you to adhere to them. It is no secret that St. Maarten political parties have made personal issues among themselves.

  People in government leak information on each other for political gain and personal interest and it ends up in the Prosecutor's hands, and they have no choice but to perform their duties. Is that Holland's fault? Ask yourself this question: if you were to break the law and you get prosecuted would you blame Holland or yourself?

  What is nasty is that the politicians in St. Maarten place the race card for the electorate to hate Dutch people, so they can have support for their own wrongdoings. That is evil. We have members in Parliament making laws about plastic; what we need is to establish laws to create wealth for the people of St. Maarten. Most of these politicians are destroying St. Maarten from within with their own personal vendetta against each other at the country’s expense.

  I, the Patriot Miguel Arrindell, defend righteousness, I could care less what colour you are and if you are a St. Maartener or not, I will not defend wrong. I can have compassion, but that is no licence to justify breaking the law. Worse is when those wicked politicians use people against people (race card) to fulfil their evil motives.

  Some people say let Holland take over the government, I say no! If you agree with that, you are insulting your own intelligence because you are assuming, we cannot administrate our own country.

  I see it totally differently. I think no person is better to administrate St. Maarten than the St. Maartener, but it is up to the electorate to investigate people's background well and let the politician’s character prove they have good intentions. Some people say they go into politics and they get corrupt after. I disagree; if I were a minister of justice, I would hold every individual who breaks the law accountable, and there would be no need for Holland to intervene. But many politicians from day one have no ideology and they do not know their character. That is a recipe for disaster.

  Warning again, education alone cannot make a good leader. A criterion is a humble person with a good character and good intent. If the individual may lack the required education, the assistance of professional people alongside him or her can correct that part. But if he or she has five Master’s degrees and their intention is evil, there is nothing you can do to fix that. Love of country is an action proven, not saying I love my country.

  My conclusion: St. Maarten is being destroyed from within.

The Patriot Miguel Arrindell

Dear Minister Christopher Wever,

  The construction taking place adjacent to our property in Beacon Hill for which I have requested a building construction stop from your department is causing vibrations felt in our house by my person, as well as by an employee of the Coast Guard sitting in his vehicle by the airport fence who advised me to take pictures of my walls just in case, and an information technology person working inside a house of one of the neighbors at the time of a shaking that had him exit the house in a hasty manner.

  I am fearful that potential damage may not surface until later and will then be difficult at best to establish the cause. I will, therefore, call the police around 7:30 in the morning for their intervention until such time that the VROMI department comes to assess the situation.

  I once again, take this opportunity to thank the Minister in advance for his urgent attention to this matter.

Louis R. Engel

Your expressions
Give us the impression
Of your innermost intentions
Words too can kill
Kill your desire
Kill your motivation
If you think it
In your heart
And speak it
With your mouth
Then you are as guilty
As charge
Some people will say
Sticks and stones
Will break my bones
But words can't
But that's so far from the truth
For words can break the heart
Break the spirit
And destroy the will of the
Strongest human being
For words can break
As well as it can make you
So be careful in your use
Of words
Use your words to
Build and not to destroy
Words of encouragement
Words of love
Words of comfort
Words of wisdom
Used wisely can
Bring to the soul healings
And add suddenness
To the hearing
Kind words turn away
Wrath
Wise words bring peace
For in the beginning
Was the Word
And the Word was God

Until man came and

Polluted it
So to the speakers
To the writers
To the preachers
To the politicians

To the orators
To the singers
To the  poets
Please weigh your words
And measure your terms
For you will never know who
You may hurt in turn
Or who can be blessed
In your freedom of speech
Be careful someone else’s
Rights not to breach

Big Ray