Dear Editor,
Over the years a whole lot of people who were not the original instigators in a fight would end up on the wrong side of the law, merely because they took the law in their own hands. I have a simple question: Are not the Dutch committing or are about to commit some kind of a crime by placing those conditions on Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten?
There is a term in the Dutch penal law which is “willens en wetens”. It is in no shape or form that the Dutch could venture to claim that they do not know the consequence of their actions when it is already established that approximately 70 per cent of the population of St. Maarten is living below or just on the poverty line. Along with that it is worldwide known and accepted that the Dutch never executed any plan which was not thought out meticulously years ahead.
COVID-19 rendered the people much more vulnerable. A temptation which the Dutch could not resist. I still believe it is criminal. St. Maarten is in the hurricane belt and it is not to be predicted what kind of devastation any hurricane will cause. Along with that the hurricanes are much stronger than in the past.
When I read the way that Holland is going about these negotiations, words like “chantage” and “afpersing” come to mind. Trump was impeached for similar behavior. My question is: why should a whole country suffer for the behavior of a few? Who put the Constitution together? Did the population throw down all those governments?
All the population did was to vote. The voting population does not even have a say in which parties should form the coalition. 300,000 people suffer for the actions of 200 on which the 300,000 do not have any influence. When the Dutch go about threatening the governments of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, are they not aware that approximately 300,000 people are suffering and not the 200 in government? Are the Dutch really comfortable with that kind of behavior which is observed worldwide?
September is just around the corner. When the King gives his speech from the throne, is it this kind of sentiment we should expect? A scarcely-attended-to Irma-Maria devastation, COVID-19 and in the middle of a hurricane season with the largest amount of predicted hurricanes. Should not this deter the Dutch? Do they really consider it normal to disregard the safety of the people of the Caribbean part of the Dutch Kingdom?
That cocaine bust that was made in the horse stables netted a lot of money. There is also a term in the Dutch penal law which enables that money to be used legally. “Verbeurd verklaren”. Would not it seem more humane if Knops would play with the thought: “Met deze cocaine fangst is Aruba, Curaçao en St. Maarten, met de neus in de boter gevallen” (“this haul would do Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten just fine”). Even the King on the day of his speech could sugarcoat it and say “Every bad is for a good.”
By the way, they told me that in spite of social distancing some GEBE people are already socializing and celebrating a promotion. Wash hands, wear masks and maintain a safe distance from each other. Stay safe. The corona virus is very sociable. It does not discriminate.
Russell A. Simmons
