Six months after the Van Putten-Statia incident, financial mismanagement, abuse of power, fraud, theft, embezzlement of public funds, widespread corruption, favouritism, personal intimidations, threats, insults, and extensive administrative neglect, caused the Dutch government to intervene with direct rule from The Hague. Van Putten’s worst fears were realized, not by Marines but by parliament. With a sigh of relief, the population of victims may see a temporary end to gangster-rule on the island.
In case you missed the incident, Statia’s PLP-leader and Island Councilman Clyde van Putten, had egged on his audience at a political rally to “kill and burn in the streets” Dutch Marines who arrived with humanitarian aid after hurricanes Irma and Maria. The populist politician misled his followers by stating that the real reason for the landing of Marines was to occupy the island. Statia is an administrative territorial entity, incorporated into the Kingdom of the Netherlands, since 2010, with a population of about 3,500.
On neighbour island St. Maarten, a scam played out as local contractors jumped on the bandwagon to make some good money with heavily-inflated invoices by providing real, or fake, clean-up services to the local government. The St. Maarten-kleptocracy was already on display to the world, when hundreds of looters cleaned out electronic stores directly after Hurricane Irma. In defence, many thieves claimed that flat-screen televisions were a primary need consumption to care for their suffering families.
Rising crime in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe prompted France to send in police reinforcement. Once again, police reinforcements have become almost an annual intervention ritual. Britain and Canada warned tourists in Montego Bay, Jamaica, to stay inside resort premises, as authorities declared a state of emergency to battle violent gang activity, and shoot-outs mostly related to the widespread narco industry.
These are only a few examples of how ethics and morals, historically already a weak attribute of the Caribbean, continue to deteriorate ever further; anarchy and crime rule in the Caribbean. The mini- and micro-states are hotbeds of evil. The end is not in sight, but it takes two to tango. If Caribbean islands elect to exist as gangsterdoms, there is no reason for the rest of the world to intervene. We in the civilized West can easily seal the Caribbean off, and leave them to stew in their own juice. But that is also exactly the weak spot. The West is using the Caribbean as a transit route for the drugs they are addicted to, for shady financial transactions, and money they need to hide and launder.
Corruption of ethics started ever since European countries issued licenses for privateers, pirates, buccaneers, corsairs and filibusters, licenses to get rich quickly, totally opportunistically with situational ethics in the playground of the Caribbean archipelago; the moral order exists in reverse. A real clean-up of the Caribbean can only start in the U.S. and Europe.
Jacob Gelt Dekker
Columnist for Curaçao Chronicle
Dear Editor,
Caribbean Progressive Alliance (CPA), an association formed during a meeting of COPPPAL on St Maarten, in May 2017, with as members organizations from the remaining non-self-governing countries in general, globally and regionally, with a particular emphasis on the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. Counted among our growing members are Puerto Rico, San Andres, Providenciales and US Virgin Islands, BVI, and the French and Dutch overseas territories.
CPA has followed with consternation and disbelief the treatment meted out by the Dutch government on the people of the former Netherlands Antilles, especially the BES islands of Bonaire and St. Eustatius. Over the past seven years, the Dutch government has done everything within its power to frustrate and obstruct the proper functioning of the duly elected governments on these islands.
Through instruments such as but not limited to instructions to the Lt. Governor, overreach by an appointed Kingdom Representative , who is a civil servant, with authority bestowed by the Dutch government to block and or delay any legitimate actions of government that the Dutch don’t approve of.
Additionally, the Dutch government has proceeded to anchor these islands into the Dutch Constitution against the wishes of the peoples as expressed in referenda held on both islands.
The Dutch government, while not living up to any agreement or complying with its obligations vies@vies the islands socially, economically or politically, have decided unilaterally without dialogue or consultation with the duly elected government of St Eustatius to put aside the will of the people, via a measure of higher supervision, and administer the island by an administrative commissioner appointed by the Dutch.
This action is not in keeping with the principles of democracy or in accordance with the United Nations Charter, which prescribes a full measure of self-government.
CPA vehemently opposes this undemocratic and draconian action of the Dutch government, in the unjust take-over of the St Eustatius government and the setting aside of the duly elected members of the Island Council and the appointed commissioners.
For the good order we wish to make perfectly clear, that we condemn and reject this action as illegal, draconian and without merit or justification, and we stand in solidarity with our sister island in its struggle for justice and the right to a full measure of self-government.
We shall therefore seek redress in cooperation with St. Eustatius by all legal means available to us.
Caribbean Progressive Alliance
James Finies
Dear Editor,
We are so happy to be here. We had thought 2018 was out because our resort is closed for repairs. Our extended family has been coming for decades and many of us have timeshares. We closely follow news of St. Maarten after the hurricane. An enterprising daughter surfed the net and found a condo for rent.
We think of the island as our second home and want so much to be of help. Now that we have been here for several days, I have ideas. Is there a person in the government who is in charge of coordinating off-island help? Has anyone started to compile a list of people who still need tarps and what size?
Surely a major way we can help is by spreading the word that coming here can be joyful. There are places to stay if you search. Many restaurants and markets are open and doing lively business. We are going to a party in Grand Case. What could be better? Our old friends and new friends are so happy to be part of the rebirth of this island.
With hopes for guidance,
Barbara Houck
USA
Dear Editor,
On behalf of Sint Maarten Pride Foundation, I recently delivered a letter to His Excellency Governor Holiday. In that letter Sint Maarten Pride requested the intervention of the governor in the situation with the dump. Pride also asked His Royal Majesty King Willem-Alexander to intervene and the letter was also sent to the Dutch representative on the island.
Sint Maarten Pride has no faith in our local government to find solutions and so called upon the Governor and the Kingdom to intervene. This situation has gone beyond local politics.
This letter was publicised in the newspapers as well as on several social media sites. The response from the public, residents and tourists alike, has been overwhelmingly positive. It is clear from those responses that not only PRIDE, but the community at large, has lost faith in our government officials to solve this problem.
As I write this Letter to the Editor, I can see the fires still burning. Kudos to our brave fire personnel who have been fighting this day and night.
The truth is, however, that they are woefully under-equipped to handle landfill fires of this magnitude.
In fact, this dump has taken over our lives and is completely unmanageable. I personally, along with many others, including PRIDE, have been warning about this for years and years and years. And nothing, nothing, has been done.
There is a discussion about this being arson. This is an old story and, in my opinion, is used as an excuse by government to deflect blame from themselves. The statements government needs to be making are statements about solutions, not about causes. The fires can start for many reasons. People need to educate themselves on outdated land-filling methods, which is what we have. If a landfill is not properly maintained, these fires are what occur. Google it!
I believe at this point we need outside intervention and professional advice. As a major public health concern this issue isn’t going anywhere until a modern-day solid waste solution is finalized. All interested parties need to come together to make this happen. Stop the bickering between yourselves and the politics, and join together to get something done.
Our people are being poisoned by this monstrosity and yet our politicians and government officials sit and have already started the blame game. There is plenty of blame to go around, and I blame every party and every elected official that has ever sat in government and done nothing about this dump. It has never been a priority for any of them, and we the people of St Maarten are paying the price.
How sad is it that the Nature Foundation is the one handing out masks? That the Nature Foundation needed extra donations to buy more masks? Kudos to them, but why isn’t our government handing out masks? Why does it take an NGO to shoulder that responsibility?
It is time for the people of St Maarten, and tourists too, to stand up and say we are not taking this anymore. Please write letters to Governor Holiday and letters to King Willem-Alexander (through the Dutch Representative Office of Chris Johnson). Demand an immediate solution!
Barbara Cannegieter
Dear Editor,
We the people of St. Maarten are kindly thanking the Dutch Government for their help and assistance they provided and offering to us before, during and after Hurricane Irma.
And even the youth of St. Maarten and the people of all ages from many nations from all over the world have given the Dutch Government many praises for their excellent assistance after Hurricane Irma.
The help came very timely from the Dutch Government especially when our parliamentarians are fighting for power and just a coalition government after government that cannot work together.
And St. Maarten never had a good opposition government in the past. That's why today many people feel a lot of the laws are outdated and need to be changed as soon as possible.
The style of the opposition and many parliamentarians is fights against Theo – they just cannot keep a good man down.
We are willing to work with the Dutch Government through the recovery plan but we the people of St. Maarten feel everything will go very good.
Because in case the Dutch go to provide the same assistance they are giving us here to any one of its colonies, St. Maarten can be always one of its examples – they can always talk about how well and good things went here.
Election is around the corner: Holland, Great Britain, France, America and the entire Caribbean are waiting to hear the result. My expectation is United Democrats party could get 11 seats if the voters turn up to the polls well in great numbers.
The new government should expect the people want their demands to be solved by government early 2018 such as:
(1 ) bring down parliamentarians’ and ministers’ salary as soon as possible.
(2) a small claims court.
(3) change the old-time laws our police, detectives, lawyers, and civil servant sick and tired of working with.
(4) increase the minimum wage.
(5) control the high house rents the poor people pay.
(6) build community centres island-wide.
(7) increase the pension, create jobs and pay the teachers better.
(8) focus on the youth, help them.
(9) recycling project.
(10) bring some public offices and utilities offices to Middle Region soon.
(11) organise a delegation to go to The Hague and get all the old-time laws off the table for the wishing of St. Maarten people.
(12) give Theo 11 seats, give United Democrats party a large majority,
(13) vote in a style and fashion like people from the Commonwealth of Dominica – one party rule for each term.
Theo only one can bring back the businesses back to Philipsburg. Theo and Sarah are great team.
Cuthbert Bannis
