To: Mr. Knops, State Secretary of Kingdom Relations
Mrs. Van Ark, State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment
September 17, 2018
Subject: Dutch help or recolonization of the former Netherlands
Antilles?
Dear Mr. Knops and Mrs. Van Ark,
We took notice of several expressions, declarations and publications
that came out of the last meetings held in Bonaire and The Hague and that
greatly alarmed us.
On September 6, Mr. Knops visited Bonaire in remembrance of the
discovery of our island on the same day in 1499 and behaved in a comparable way
as his ancestors have done over the centuries since the colonization of our
islands: he came to (over)see if the subservient local politicians and
government comply with the instructions of the colonial master. The great news
that the master, Mr. Knops, was satisfied was celebrated extensively by him and
the submissive subordinated Bonerian government, humiliating the Bonerian
people on their day. The irony of the celebrations’ theme, “From Generation to
Generation” was not lost on the people who from generation to generation have
suffered under colonial rule. Mr. Knops, true to the colonial tradition, made
some promises to our beggar-politicians which could help them win the upcoming
elections, and he shone, even scintillated, as the example of the next
generation of Dutch colonizers.
Back in The Hague last week, after the show in Bonaire, it was business
as usual for Mr. Knops, this time assisted by Mrs. Van Ark. Without shame or
regret it was maintained by both, that although all reports show that about
half of the population is living way below the poverty line, that there is no
need for alleviation, no need for swift action to establish a minimum to
guarantee a humane existence. In line with the colonial tradition they both
blatantly blamed the islanders for the poverty. It became clear the policies
are not to eradicate poverty but to create, promote, and maintain poverty.
Poverty is the business model; the aim is to keep and make our people poor by
laws and policies as to collect international funds you need poverty. Mr.
Knops’ statements are very clear: he cannot do magic or manipulate the dot on
the horizon because it is impossible to keep our people in poverty and
eradicate poverty at the same time.
The hypocrisy of Mr. Knops reached its summit when he said that the
actions in Bonaire, St. Maarten, and St. Eustatius should not be understood as
recolonization but as aid, help, assistance to the islands. What help, Mr.
Knops, is the illegal removal of the elected government in St. Eustatius and
replacing it with appointees from The Hague; what assistance is it to topple
the elected government in St. Maarten and force it to accept measures against
its interest using the post-Irma chaos; what aid are the few dollars spent
whereas measures to alleviate poverty are refused?
To conclude, Mr. Knops admitted to me in our encounter last January on
Bonaire during his inaugural visit as State Secretary,
that he does not know and does not want to know our common history and colonial
past, and that he is only looking forward in the future. Now I understand that
by his actions, that he is right: he is innocent, from his perspective as he is
acting in accordance with his laws. Because colonialism and racism are part and
parcel of the Dutch mind, he is innocent, as were his predecessors, as were our
ancestors which by his constitution and laws were de-humanized, declared
non-human, and were legally traded as cattle and herring. Because he said he
does not know the history, I would like to remind him, that through these
inhumane, criminal actions, the Dutch rose from being an insignificant fishing
village to one of the world’s richest nations; through the blood, sweat, and
tears of our enslaved ancestors. The VOC / WIC are listed as biggest company
ever in the world’s history, about 10 times bigger then Microsoft and Apple,
and they were not selling software. We understand by now why he does not want
to know his history. It is because it would confront him with his criminal origins
and would expose his actions of today as crimes against humanity no matter that
he has legalized them as a constitutional act, a method not very different from
the way the Nazi’s legalized their actions against those whom they regarded as
belonging to an inferior race.
I hope that this letter is the dot on the horizon that will grow into
the rising sun that will brighten the future and shed light on the past as
darkness is not eradicated by darkness but by light. The Netherlands is
signatory to the United Nations Charter and as such cannot continue to ignore their
violations of the different resolutions to end colonial rule. Mr. Knops and
Mrs. Van Ark, you are in the position to make that change on behalf of The
Netherlands.
Respectfully,
James Finies
