SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - During the recent IPKO meetings of 2021, Dutch Senator Oomen asked for examples of Dutch colonization in St. Maarten, the Pro Soualiga Foundation said in a recent press statement. 

“Respectfully, Senator Oomen should bear in mind that when reference is made to Dutch colonization, it is imperative to do a comparative analysis with the obligations under the UN Charter because its members are bound to its principles under Article 103 which is often referred to as a (UN) supremacy clause.

“A prime example of Dutch colonization in St. Maarten would be the issuance of a Royal Decree in November of 2017 whereby the Dutch Government demanded that Prime Minister W. Marlin resign with immediate effect. At the time, State Secretary Knops stated that as long as the Honorable Prime Minister remained in office there would be no liquidity support to help expedite St. Maarten's reconstruction.

“A further example of Dutch colonization in St Maarten is Article 44 of the Kingdom Charter whereby any "country" ordinance amending the Constitution must have Dutch approval.  At the 521st Meeting of the Fourth Committee of the United Nations in November of 1955, it was declared that Article 44 "gave the Netherlands the power of veto on matters falling outside the scope of Kingdom Affairs."  Additionally, at the 526th Meeting of the Fourth Committee, Egypt and Indonesia agreed that Article 44 "gave the impression that there was no EQUAL PARTNERSHIP" between the Netherlands and the former Netherlands Antilles.

“The last examples of Dutch colonization in St. Maarten are Articles 50 and 51 (Higher Supervision Articles) of the Kingdom Charter.  The mere fact that the Kingdom Charter deems higher supervision to be a lawful act certainly connotes a high degree of colonization.  Bear in mind that during the 524th Meeting of the Fourth Committee, Ecuador asserted that Article 50 "was even more restrictive" than Article 44 of the Kingdom Charter, and at the 522nd Meeting, Lebanon opined that Article 50  gave the Netherlands the status of being "all-powerful."  Article 51 was also mentioned at the  524th Meeting where the former Soviet Union (Russia) stated unequivocally that "in any REALLY self-governing territory that function (Article 51) would be vested in the territorial parliament."

“With many of its politicians contradicting each other, the Dutch government seems to be very confused when it comes to the topic of decolonization.  On October 11th, 2016, MP Andre Bosman, former State Secretary Plasterk, and former leader of the PVV Fritsma all declared in the Tweede Kamer that the "Dutch" islands still fall under Article 73 of the United Nations Charter.  In 2019, State Secretary Knops stated in a letter addressed to MP Bosman that the views of the Netherlands regarding Article 73 had changed.  While the Dutch Government declared to the International Court of Justice in 2018 that "the right of self-determination of peoples is a permanent, continuing, universal and inalienable right with a peremptory character",  Senator Jorritsma, during this week's IPKO meetings, stated that "the decolonization process has been finished."  There is a clear sign of dissonance among the Dutch politicians, and if the Dutch government cannot agree whether St. Maarten has been decolonized, then it stands to reason that they should seek out a competent entity to decide the status of St. Maarten's decolonization process.  According to Resolution 945X,  the only competent body that can decide whether St. Maarten has been fully decolonized is the United Nations General Assembly.  (Bear in mind that varying entities in Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten have all sent correspondence to the United Nations regarding Article 73 and decolonization.)  As a founding member of the United Nations, the Netherlands, based on the continual dissonance amongst its politicians regarding decolonization, should arrange a meeting with the United Nations General Assembly to undoubtedly ascertain whether the decolonization process of St.Maarten and its sister islands has in fact been truly finalized.” 

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - With the Prime Minister of St. Maarten announcing almost daily that plans and programs associated with the COHO and country packages have already commenced, Independent MP Christophe Emmanuel has questioned if the PM and her government have lost all respect for the people and Parliament of St. Maarten.

MP Emmanuel said the PM has not lived up to her word to update Parliament and the people on a regular basis at the onset of COVID. No Parliament meeting other than an emergency session to give her permission to sign for the COHO or extensive press conferences has been held to discuss the contents of the country package as negotiated by the government, the agreement signed and the major consequences thereof for the people of St. Maarten. As such, he stressed, the government has been avoiding critical questions and having to give account for its actions.

He added that the Prime Minister is now very comfortable in making broad and empty statements for the media to consume, with no care in the world about substance. “For example, and I’m quoting the Prime Minister: “We are developing our implementation strategy for the package of reforms which is to be complementary to the projects and initiatives already in place via the Trust Fund and World Bank.”

“What is this implementation strategy? What is the content of the reform packages? Which projects and initiatives already in place will they complement and how? How will these directly benefit our people? State Secretary Knops have seemingly rubbed off on the Prime Minister with her broad open statements, with no relevant content,” Emmanuel said.

Shifting directly to coalition MPs, he said they are betraying their obligation to the country and to their voters. “People did not elect you to sit idly by and say nothing. You are members of Parliament. Impossible you can sit by and allow yourselves to become rubber stamps. You are obligated to inform the people about changes coming to their lives, positive and especially negative. Has it been forgotten that ‘Only we can save we?” Emmanuel said. Or was that statement a farce?”    

Emmanuel questioned the position of all MPs supporting the government, their commitment to their individual campaign platforms, assurances to the people and, more notably, the governing program outlining their vision for St. Maarten in the current governing term. Time and effort, he said, was spent by all supporting MPs in the governing program. “It is supposed to be your vision. What is your vision now? To sit back and throw up your hands come what may?”

“None of them seem to care anymore about common courtesy with the people of St. Maarten who elected them to office. We all obviously understand that COVID-19 has dictated change in many areas. But it has not dictated that a government can leave its people or its Parliament in the dark and not explain in detail what is happening and the changes they can expect,” Emmanuel said.

Emmanuel said he will be requesting a few meetings this week and he hopes to get the support of MPs at this very crucial time for St. Maarten and its people.

SINT EUSTATIUS (ORANJESTAD) - Sint Eustatius is a Dutch island in the Caribbean. This special municipality has an enormous variation in nature and is worth putting on your bucket list. Marion Schroen has explored the island extensively and shares her passion in the newly published book Hiking on St. Eustatius.

The book is for anyone who wants to walk or run on this small island and delve into the broader context of this tropical open-air museum, where the past reveals itself with every step. Whether you are a hiker or an armchair adventurer, a lover of fortresses or nature, come for work or vacation, have an hour or a whole day, are a beginner or advanced; don't pass up the opportunity to experience this impressive beauty and diversity.

Marion Schroen is a lover of hiking and running. She knows all the nooks and crannies of the island and makes you a personal participant in the hike-lights of Statia as the island is also called.

The book Walking on St. Eustatius contains background information about St. Eustatius, describes 22 walks and gives tips about hiking and trail running in the tropical climate. Free GPS tracks of the routes are also available.

The edition Walking on St. Eustatius can be ordered via www.anoda.nl. The price is € 14.95.

The book will also be published in English early March 2021.

SINT MAARTEN (PHILIPSBURG) - In reviewing 2020 the more than 13.000 households (94% of the households) in St Maarten were confronted with much more poverty, the Sint Maarten Anti-Poverty Platform (SMAPP) said in a statement on Thursday.

“The corona virus was blamed for workers losing their job, for workers having to take salary cuts, for workers having to work and consequently receiving less pay to take care of their families, and for workers having to look for social allowance or an unemployment benefit of 1150 ANG a month!

“In cases won in court by workers, even the judges confirmed that employers, who have imposed unilateral cuts in salaries, were wrong!

“Employers who have been making money for so many years, paying the workers poverty wages, which were not enough to provide their households with a combined household income of at least 5000 ANG a month for them not to be in poverty, a lot of them used the corona virus pandemic to unlawfully dismiss or cut the worker’s salary. Workers who have guaranteed them their profits for years, could count now on business interruption insurance pay out nor on the company reserves!

“The myth that the workers in this part of the Kingdom and their households live in prosperity, this myth has to be exposed as a lie! The reality is that workers and their families in this part of the Kingdom always needed to struggle to survive and to make the ends meet.

“The reality is that workers not to be in poverty, had to work two to three jobs, to face the high cost of living here in St Maarten, the highest cost of living in the Kingdom of the Netherlands!

“In 2020 not only employers, but also our own politicians, as well as the Dutch politicians, used the corona virus as an excuse to impose so-called “solidarity cuts” on the workers in Curacao, Aruba and St Maarten in exchange for liquidity support!

“What did the Dutch government do? They imposed based on proposals of State Secretary Knops financial and non-financial, anti-social conditions on the workers and their families in St Maarten violating worker’s rights and human rights ratified by the Kingdom to be implemented equally throughout the state territory!

“The St Maarten Support and Relief Plan (SSRP) for instance was curtailed by the Dutch government. First our own government came with a Payroll support program for businesses of maximum 80%, whereas in the Netherlands and in the BES-islands, the NOW-business support program is for a maximum of 90%! This 80% maximum pay roll support was later imposed by the Dutch government brought to a maximum of 60% payroll support, forcing the workers to take a 20% salary cut!

“Then our own government came with an unemployment support program of 1150 ANG a month, which is the amount a household need per average every week not to be in poverty!

In addition to the SSRP the Dutch government provided through the Dutch Red Cross food packages.

“Did the Corona virus affect the social protection of the workers and their families in the Netherlands and in the BES-islands? Did the Dutch government impose cuts in the remunerations of the workers in the Netherlands or in the BES islands? Not at all!

“Why the workers in St Maarten could not get the same treatment as the workers in the BES-islands and in the Netherlands? As anti-poverty platform we have been advocating for equal social economic and cultural rights in the Kingdom, since we united the social organizations in St Maarten in this platform!

“Not even when the unions, in defense of worker’s rights and human rights, protested in May and June these racially discriminating Dutch conditions for liquidity support, neither our own politicians, nor the State Secretary Knops and the Dutch government and parliament corrected these violations of our human rights!

“In the press briefing of Wednesday Jan 6, 2021, the Prime Minister made it once more known, that the legislation to legalize the racial discrimination in the Kingdom is on its way to parliament, as a condition to receive the liquidity support for the second tranche!

“The Prime Minister defends the decision to implement the Dutch conditions, instead of claiming our rights to an equal social protection floor in the Kingdom, with all means possible in the State.

“The Prime Minister in so doing continues to promote the racial discrimination of her own workers and families in this country. Instead of defending our worker’s rights and human rights, the prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are arguing and defending the Dutch colonial racial discrimination and human rights violations!

“Will our parliamentarians amend these law proposals not to violate the international labor conventions and the international human rights covenants? Will they collaborate with the Dutch imposed colonial apartheid policy or will they stand up for the people of ST Maarten, as the unions and the anti-poverty platform has been doing?”