Dear Editor,
As Manager of the Walter Plantz Square (WPS), I have taken note of the content of a press release that was issued by the Democratic Party (DP) of St. Maarten regarding an event that took place at the WPS on July 5.
The DP press release says: “Government, PJIA and St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies caught up in political sponsorship.
“My thought on the St. Maarten Day of Worship 2016, held on July 5, at the Walter Plantz Pier: Good Initiative and great potential for a summer activity. This, if managed well could be included in our summer tourism package.
“It was unfortunate, however, that politics sneaked into the event. Why do I say this? Several patrons expressed their disgust that during the event political pamphlets were handed out. Notwithstanding these pamphlets regarded the St. Maarten Christian Party, this is still a political party. How unfortunate it would have been if more political parties would have used this venue to spread political propaganda. This is, as far as I can ascertain the only “blemish” on an otherwise exhilarating event. This only goes to show that sponsors, especially government and government related entities should exercise caution in supporting events, especially during these political times we are in.”
I would like to set the record straight with respect to the allegations made. The WPS is open to organizations, companies and other entities who would like to host their event at the square. The event of July 5 was not a political event nor was it organized by a political party. The policy of WPS is that it would not be used as a venue for any political public meetings.
I would like to emphatically state that WPS did not sponsor any political event.
Organizations and businesses utilize the local businesses at WPS which benefits our local entrepreneurs and brings business activity to the area.
The event of July 5 was organized by Grego Tours & Production, which is not a political organization. We are well aware that with parliamentary elections around the corner, there will be a lot of political rhetoric in the coming weeks.
The Walter Plantz Square has transformed the Down Street area since it was officially opened nearly a year ago. Many organizations have used WPS for various activities of a social, cultural and religious nature. The Walter Plantz Square is a success story.
Addison Richardson
WPS Manager
Dear Editor,
My thought on the St. Maarten Day of Worship 2016, held on July 5th, at the Walter Plantz Pier: Good Initiative and great potential for a summer activity. This, if managed well could be included in our summer tourism package. It, however, was unfortunate that politics sneaked into the event. Why do I say this? Several patrons expressed their disgust that during the event political pamphlets were handed out. Notwithstanding these pamphlets regarded the St. Maarten Christian Party, this is still a political party.
How unfortunate it would have been if more political parties would have used this venue to spread political propaganda. This is, as far as I can ascertain the only “blemish” on an otherwise exhilarating event. This only goes to show that sponsors, especially government and government related entities should exercise caution in supporting events, especially during these political times we are in.
Marinka Gumbs,
President, Democratic Party (DP)
Dear Editor,
The leader of the PLP party uses any opportunity to tell the people of Statia that his government is not making any progress and is unable to do anything, because their hands are tied by the Dutch government. It is therefore, according to him, that apparently the Plan of Approach cannot be executed in order to improve government’s financial household and administration. The multi-annual plan remains just a plan and the first project under this plan still needs to be executed.
I wish to disagree with him. This government consistently has gotten rid of qualified people in important positions simply because they were only willing to work according to the book. In the meantime, no attempts were made to fill these vacancies with other qualified people. The Plan of Approach requires highly-skilled short-term appointments, who are able to turn this government around. Instead of this, government is in a constant battle with the Kingdom Representative to hire their political cronies, who preferably are also anti-Dutch, regardless of their qualifications or experience.
An example is the appointment of a former school teacher as island secretary, with a healthy dose of antipathy towards the system, and with no managerial experience or knowledge of the public sector.
This approach has resulted in a non-functioning government, in particular the finance department, whereby the remaining civil servants have reached a level of total frustration. This frustration is further fuelled by constantly publicly questioning their loyalty and input by members of the coalition parties.
The PLP mouthpiece, in his radio program, on a daily basis is proclaiming that government should never accept the assistance of the Dutch ministries. According to him, we don’t need those unemployed Dutch civil servants that Holland wants to send to Statia to give them a job.
More than a year after the fact, however, finally the Executive Council has officially asked the minister for assistance in the form of a facilitator, to solve the stalemate regarding the harbour ordinance and the relation with NuStar. In a meeting I had last month in The Hague at the Ministry of Infrastructure & Environment, together with my UPC colleague in the Island Council Reuben Merkman, their commitment to assist in this matter was confirmed. I sincerely hope this move will have the support of the majority of the island council, as this appears to be a good development at last.
CFT is at its wits end where it comes to the execution of the financial part of the Plan of Approach. After one full year only one of twenty-two measures of the plan has been completed. The government is still not able to submit a single report on time. They have even requested to postpone the completion of the financial statements of 2015 (deadline July 15) until the middle of November. If the minister goes along with this, Statia will not have an approved budget for 2017 before the end of this year.
In the meantime, Duiveman, government’s appointee as process manager to carry out the Plan of Approach, has tendered his resignation. This fact most likely will cause further delay. In an attempt to curb the tide, at least four financial experts will be sent to the island to help get the financial household back on track. I hope this assistance will not be seen as another set of unemployed Dutch civil servants that are send to Statia for a job.
Van Putten also leaves no opportunity unused to state that Holland wants this Plan of Approach executed, but he claims that they refuse to make the necessary funding available. I made it a point, while in The Netherlands last month, to visit BZK and to ask clarification on this matter. The answer was that the ministry is willing to finance all costs that are not budgeted for, but that they have never received a substantiated request for financing of these costs from the Executive Council.
In a meeting between CFT and the Island Council last week, this information was confirmed by CFT. Also when reading the weekly decision lists of the Executive Council it can be concluded that never a decision has been made to ask the ministry for financial support.
This government consistently blames its incompetence and inability to make things happen on the lack of cooperation, or even hindrance by the Dutch government. This while help is just an email or a phone call away. I also noticed there is no urgency within this government. Instead their hands are tied; they are sitting on them, and they let the island go down the drain.
Koos Sneek
Dear Editor,
An article published on the front page of The Daily Herald on Tuesday, October 27, 2015, stated that four youths (R.L.G (15), K.R (17), D. de B (15), and M v.d.s. (15)) were arrested on St. Eustatius. What ever happened to these four Statia youth?
On July 6, 2016, three of the four boys graduated from the Gwendolyn van Putten School and will continue their education in the Netherlands and the United States. One boy will remain in Statia to complete one more year of HAVO. Two of the boys settled out of court, while the other two carried their case to court, ultimately receiving no more punishment!
The arrest of these children occurred on October 26, 2015, between 5:45 and 6:30am when five to seven police officers from Bonaire forcefully entered their homes and screamed “police,” violently pulled the children out of their beds, slammed them on the floor, pushed their faces to the floor, handcuffed and blindfolded them, and brought the children to the police station in their boxer draws. The children were screaming.
Within hours, two of the boys were sent to Bonaire where they spent ten days incarcerated in the correctional facility. The other two boys spent five days remanded in the Statia’s police holding cells. The accusation was multiple robberies and embezzlement.
Why were these children arrested so violently? Could this become a normal practice in the Caribbean Netherlands? The children and the parents asked these questions throughout the entire legal battle that ended July 5, when the two boys who went to trial received their sentence, a conditional US $500 fine and two years’ probation.
The boys vandalized a police car. Their reasoning was that the police violated their rights when they came to their school and violently arrested some of their friends on school grounds (who were released the same day). They wanted justice for something they observed as unjust police brutality.
Taking the law into their hands and vandalizing a police car was definitely not a wise decision. But, did this teenage indiscretion deserve their being arrested like terrorists or drug lords?
In the Wretched of the Earth (first published in 1961), Franz Fanon states that in a colony, the police “are the official, instituted go-betweeners, the spokesmen of the settler and his rule of oppression.” Is Statia still a colony where those that challenge the status quo face persecution, prosecution and police brutality?
Throughout the entire legal process the Prosecutor was unapologetic for how the children were violently arrested (and remains so). The general attitude was that these children deserved what was coming to them. Is anyone in the Caribbean Netherlands concerned about the violation of human and children’s rights? At any time, could another child be arrested in a similar manner and incarcerated?
Another illustration of a human rights violation is the difficulty experienced when trying to find proper legal counsel. Proper legal counsel is part of what encompasses a civilized society. However, when entangled in the web of the legal system in the Caribbean Netherlands, you have to fight to get through.
For example, without ever meeting any of the children, or simply speaking to them on the phone, when one parent and son decided not to accept the harsh plea that was offered by the Prosecutor (80 hours community service and 3 years probation), the defence attorney told them: “With all due respect, but you try to picture your son as a saint, which in fact he is not … your son should be really ashamed of himself and take his community service as the tough guy he apparently wants to be. There is absolutely no reason for him to be angry! If he would have behaved himself, he would not have been arrested and not been detained in Bonaire.”
This attorney’s statement is tinged with racist undertones and stereotypes. The child in question is of African descent. Mr. defence attorney, not all black children are or think they are tough guys and/or are criminals in the making! Also, where did you get the idea that the child was mad? Another racialized assumption – black anger and aggression.
The child in question is a serious and intelligent young man who recognizes that his rights were violated. It is actually disturbing that these racial prejudices remain prominent in the Caribbean Netherlands. If a defence council can hold such prejudices toward their own clients, then anyone who enters the legal system in the Caribbean Netherlands is tenuous at best!
After this communication, new legal counsel was sought and all parents were satisfied with the legal paths that they choose for their children. However, to date, the manner in which these children were arrested has not been critiqued or analysed. Since the violent arrest has not been exposed and condemned, will it become normal practice in the Caribbean Netherlands? Whose human rights will be violated next?
The parents have done their best to teach their children that they must be held responsible for their actions. At the same time, the boys have learned how to legally defend themselves when they observe basic human rights violations. Similar to these four Statia youth, this should be a teaching and learning moment for the Caribbean Netherlands and represents an opportunity to frame these experiences within a human rights context. However, the opposite is happening. All that is heard is silence. Hey! It is time to wake up!
Dr. Teresa E. Leslie
Eastern Caribbean Public Health Foundation
Dear Editor,
Late 2015, I was diagnosed with a serious heart problem called Aortic Valve Stenosis. SZV SXM arranged for my heart operation to take place in Colombia. After getting this news, I realized how little I knew about Colombia and the little knowledge I had was rather negative.
In my mind it was a country ravaged by decades-long violent conflict and cartels, of drugs and kidnappings by different rebel groups. I did not know that Colombia was one of the top places for excellent medical care in Latin America and that the Colombian government had been successful in reversing its negative image as a trouble spot in South America.
Significant progress has been made, dramatically improving security, which is a crucial factor in attracting visitors from abroad. At the moment, negotiations between the Colombian government and the main rebel group, the FARC, are making significant progress. The FARC, (revolutionary armed forces of Colombia) was formed in 1964. Its aim was to overthrow the government and to install a Marxist regime. Through money from the drug trade, it became the largest and best equipped guerrilla force in Latin America.
Kidnappings became their favourite tool in their violent conflict and quest for power. No wonder there were recently jubilant celebrations in Colombia after the historic signing of a cease-fire agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC. The signing, of which took place in Cuba, ending five decades of warfare. People in Colombia were celebrating this long expected peace agreement by hugging and embracing each other, singing the national anthem and waiving the country's flag.
Colombia's president Santos hopes to sign the final peace accord in Colombia by the end of this month. “Adios a las armas,” (goodbye to the weapons.) The future will be politics without arms, which is fortunately the civilized way in which politics is practiced around the world and before long, including Colombia.
Colombia is the 3rd largest Spanish speaking country in the world, after Mexico and Spain and has substantial oil reserves. It is a major producer of coffee, gold, silver, platinum, coal and agricultural products. What I am most impressed about is the excellent medical care that patients are receiving there. Tourism is noticeably present and many foreigners are visiting this country, not only as tourists, but also for medical reasons, plastic surgery and dental care.
The combination of excellent medical treatment at affordable prices has proven to be a very attractive combination. I am thankful to God that I was privileged to have my heart operation in Colombia, which was successful. After a lengthy revalidation process I have regained my strength and health again. I must mention that at no time during my stay in Colombia, St. Maarten patients felt unsafe around the medical facilities and hotel.
There was a visible presence of police and army in and around the whole area. As I was wondering if the other St. Maarten patients and those from Aruba and Jamaica, shared my positive opinion of the country, its people and medical care, I had questionnaires made with specific questions concerning their experiences. The feedback I got was from a total of 12 questionnaires from patients from St. Maarten and 8 interviews with those from other countries. I remember that some time ago, St. Maarten's population consisted of 103 nationalities.
The results of my survey were interesting and reflected the opinion of our multi-cultural society. The feedback I got was mainly from patients with a real Caribbean background, as they were born in: Jamaica, St. Kitts, Haiti, Trinidad, Curaçao, Aruba, St. Maarten, the Philippines and the Netherlands. One of the questions was: Would you recommend Colombia to others who need medical treatment abroad? This was positively answered for 100 per cent. Question number 9 was as follows: If you had the choice in case you had to go for medical treatment abroad, which of the following countries would you choose to go to? Curaçao, Venezuela, USA, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Guadeloupe, the Netherlands or Other. 100 per cent of the answers resulted in: Colombia. Some other comments:
*I heard that there were good doctors in Colombia, but did not know they were that good.
*It is here, home away from home, because you are treated like family for they do more than their duty.
*We are well taken care of here; we are very pleased with the service. The people are so loving and kind.
*We could neither ask nor expect more.
*The medical facilities are modern and state of the art.
*Thanks SZV for making this possible for us.
From the general comments, I learned that 80per cent testified that besides all the benefits of receiving excellent medical care, faith and hope in God for a speedy recovery was very important. The whole system works very smoothly, from being picked up at the airport to making appointments with specialists and in getting clean and practical accommodation.
Although, knowledge of the Spanish language is an asset, it certainly is not a necessity. Insufficient knowledge of the Spanish language does not slow down the medical process, which in general is fast and efficient. There are translators available to assist the patients when visiting the specialists before and after the operation.
The apostle St. John wrote in his letter: "My dear friend, I pray that everything may go well with you and that you may be in good health." May a blessing rest on all those who are dedicated to realize this prayerful wish and to SZV, the medical establishment in general here on St. Maarten, who are committed to alleviate the suffering and negative impact of sickness and disease.
Colombia needs to be specifically mentioned as one of the leading countries in the world to have an admirable level of quality, modern health care, not only for their own citizens but also for those with serious health problems from beyond the borders of this great South American country.
Through my experiences, observations and personal contacts, I have come to the conclusion that Colombia's new country profile can be compared to the metamorphosis of a butterfly struggling to free itself from its cocoon, amazing all onlookers with the beauty of its wings.
Wilhelm Helmich Snijders
