ANP
EX-PRESIDENT DESI BOUTERSE
MAIL TO THE GHANA REPORT/’DESI BOUTERSE IS NO ”PEOPLE’S HERO”/THIEF/DICTATOR/CRIMINAL AGAINST HUMANITY/[LETTER TO THE EDITOR]
Desi Bouterse is no ”People’s hero”/Thief/Dictator/Criminal against humanity
Astrid Essed
Tue, Jan 14 at 11:56 AM
Letter to the Editor,
Dear Editor,
Shortly before Christmas former Surinamese president Desi Bouterse died
at the age of 79.
And almost immediately he was depicted as a sort of Saint by ”
birds of various feathers”
So in the Surinamese parliament, the ”Nationale Assemblee”,
Bouterse was called ”a courageous leader”, a ”great son” and ”inspiring”
Others called him a ”People’s hero’, the man, who pursued social reforms,
a man, ”who fought for the poor”.
Many people, including the prime minister of Barbados, mrs Mottley [who
gave a statement at the death of ex president Bouterse], called Desi Bouterse
”charismatic”
Memorial services were being held, as in Suriname as in the Netherlands
[Suriname’s former colonizer, where many Surinamese live nowadays]
and not a few numer of people let their tears flow freely and recalled Bouterse’s
”social engagement”
Now it is true, that in his time as president, Bouterse pursued a number of
social reforms, which meant a lot for many people in a poor country
like Suriname, but there was handled irresponsibly with the financial
resources of the country with as a consequence, that after two periods of
presidency, Bouterse plunged Suriname into near-bankruptcy.
And not to forget:
Bouterse greatly enriched himself and his political friends at the cost
of the Surinamese people.
We call that theft and corruption!
People should realize that yet apart from the misery he brought to
thousands and thousands of young peole with the opening of
the country to the drug trade.
But there is more….
Bouterse appeared on the Surinamese political scene as the leader
of the 25 february 1980 military coup, with which he overthrew the
democratic system.
After an initial false-friendly Period, soon sordid human rights violations
made their appearance:
The death, after a suspicious police intrrogation, of alleged contra coup plotter,
the Surinamese ex KNIL [former Dutch colonial Army in then Dutch East Indies,
since 1948 Indonesia] military Fred Ormskerk [1980], the arrest and detention without trial of former politicians, the execution of contra coup plotter major Hawker, lying wounded on a brancard, [march 1982], with as one of the darkest events, the arrest and extrajudicial execution [after torture] of fifteen political opponents of
the Bouterse military regime, theDecembermurders [december 1982]!
The two courageous women’s marches as a protest against the Decembermurders must be mentioned here and deserve an honourable
page in Surinamese history!
Then major Horb, former right hand man of Bouterse, died under suspicious
circumstances in a police cell, after his arrest. [ February 1983]
After the Decembermurders, Bouterse c.s. established a dictatorship,
that would last until 1987, when the first free elections took place.
During the civil war with former bodyguard Brunswijk [leader of
the Jungle Commando], one of the worst human rights violations
under Bouterse took place:
In the maroon village Moiwana, more then 39 civilians were
killed by the National Army under responsibility of commander in Chief, Desi
Bouterse/A mass slaughter and crime against humanity!
In 1987 Bouterse established his political party NDP [that led a big defeat
at the 1987 elections!] and during the years Bouterse made himself popular
with populist and nice sounding speeches, presents to his political fans and
some social reforms.
That may be so, but fact remains, that Bouterse and co are guilty of
theft, torture, executions and mass slaughter: Crimes against humanity.
Because of the ”Saint Declaration” of Bouterse, this Letter is written.
So that his crimes will not be forgotten.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
ANP