Foundation Nos Kier Boneiru Bek and the Bonaire people congratulate the people of Statia with their overwhelming victory on October 21,2020, re-affirming the PLP leadership as their legitimate legal democratic representation. The Statia people showed with this win that they never accepted the betrayal and violation of their sacred democratic rights and send a clear message to The Hague.
In February 2018 the Dutch government led by their military-poised state-secretary colonel Knops deposed the same government with the same leaders, through an un-democratic act, abuse of power, an coup d’etat.
A historical moment of victory to the Statia people, strong and determined, defeating Dutch 21st century colonialism. A resounding rejection against Dutch colonial rule, very loud, very clear, claiming back and restoring their government they have elected themselves in March 2015. Reassuring that the people are the ones that have to judge and decide which government they wish. This serves as a message of courage and hope to all other Antillean islands, especially the autonomous bigger islands Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten, that are at the moment under duress of the Dutch government, using the COVID-crisis to blackmail them, forcing them to cede their autonomy for a loan with improper conditions. Statia has risen again and standing tall as a nation of people with dignity, that want to decide themselves on their own island, to determine themselves their own destiny, and want to protect their inalienable fundamental right to democracy, right to self-determination and self-governance.
As Statia government was seeking to honor and respect their people’s democratic choice and voice to regain their autonomy back, the Dutch government, initially Minister Plasterk and thereafter State Secretary Knops, were denying these fundamental rights to the Statia people and their government. During all these times, when the Dutch government abuse their power, with unjust laws and committing crimes against humanity, against Statia people, almost all the Antillean leadership and governments and political parties did nothing to condemn the Dutch government or support and protect the Statia just cause, their struggle to have Holland respect their inalienable rights. Nos Ke Boneiru Bek was one of Statia’s only alliances that stood up, spoke out, fought back the Dutch government frontally on their un-democratic abusive actions against the Statia people. Together in alliance with the leadership of Statia government Nos Ke Boneiru Bek embarked on the trajectory to regain back their autonomy, towards the United Nations Headquarters and the international community, raising awareness and more on the illegal annexation of Bonaire and Statia on 10-10-10. After the Dutch government illegally deposed the legitimate government, Nos Ke Boneiru Bek together with representative of the Statia people’s government made another historical breakthrough in April 2018 to meet officially with the Caricom headquarters secretariat in Guyana, and denounce the Dutch government’s illegal actions, and have the Statia government’s “white paper” officially handed over and disseminated among all the Caricom members. This was the first time the Caricom leadership was officially informed and understood what happened with the Antillean islands after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10-10-10.
Today we are looking back on these recent historical battles for the rights of the Statian people, but more important now is the Statian people’s heroic action that decided to put their same courageous government leaders back at front of their struggle to continue fighting for them, moving forward seeking their rightful self-determination and human rights.
James Finies
President Foundation Nos Kier Bonieru Bek
