ORANJESTAD – A petition to suspend the seating of the Netherlands in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was sent to all members of the UNSC by ‘Island Council Member and Leader of the Coalition of St. Eustatius’ Clyde van Putten.
Tensions between the Netherlands and St. Eustatius have been ongoing for some time now and reached a high point after the Dutch government took over the administration of the island in February.
‘The present invasion of St. Eustatius proves that the Netherlands still does not respect the United Nations’ – Clyde van Putten
“We defer to your esteemed Council the competence to apply the multitude of prohibitions against the use of armed intervention”, writes Van Putten. “Appealing to the UN to honor its sacred promise to come to our succor in time of need. That time has now arrived!”
‘Invasion’
Van Putten continues: “The present invasion of St. Eustatius proves that the Netherlands still does not respect the United Nations, nor its obligations under the charter, which merits the full application of Article 6.”
‘Franco a Reichscommissaris’
Marcolino Franco, former Curaçao MP, is appointed as government commissioner of the island for the time being. Van Putten refers to him as ‘Reichscommissaris’ who rules the island by decree, ‘something not seen on the international scene since the Nazi era’.
Clyde van Putten challenges State Secretary Knops to provide evidence of the Wise Men findings at the Town Hall Meeting on February 7 2018
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By Esther Henry
According to a motion adopted in May 2017 by the Island Council of St. Eustatius the island ‘has repeatedly requested to initiate a dialogue with the Dutch Government based on mutual respect, aimed at improving and correcting the current relationship between the two governments’.
“I hereby offer a final opportunity to have said dialogue, and propose that you immediately take certain steps to forestall any such action(s)”, Van Putten warned State Secretary of Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops in a letter earlier this week, referring to actions with the ‘potential of negatively and structurally impacting the reputation and international image of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’.
Initial approach
Jared Genser, Lawyer for Statia Government, on December 20, 2017 wrote: “The status of St. Eustatius materially changed when its people’s wishes by popular referendum to remain a part of the Netherlands Antilles were denied, and the island was forced to become a special municipality of The Netherlands.”
‘It is equally clear that your Government is punishing the citizens of St. Eustatius’ – lawyer Jared Genser
In a letter dated on February 6, Genser wrote: “I am writing in regards to the letter that I sent to you of December 18, 2017, where I asked to open up a dialogue and to which you never responded, and to your Government’s decision to seek the immediate dissolution of the elected and appointed Government of Sint Eustatius.”
‘Punishment’
Genser continued: “It is equally clear that your Government is punishing the citizens of St. Eustatius for having elected a Government that has repeatedly demanded its rights be respected.”
“I demand the Government cease and desist from its illegal actions. Should it fail to do so, the Government of St. Eustatius will act aggressively to defend the rights of its people both domestically and internationally, through all venues provided by law”, ended Genser.
