A delegation of ‘Nos Ke Boneiru Bek’ (We Want Bonaire Back) left for St. Maarten last week on a mission with the objective to unify the Caribbean islands of the Dutch Kingdom to counter arrest the division of the peoples that was created on 10-10-10 (October 10 2010) and start a new era of cooperation, collaboration and support and restore the ties of friendship and cooperation toward each other’s needs in particular.
This crusade started with a meeting with Rudy Croes, vice-president of COPPAL which recently in a meeting held in Mexico, affirmed that the International community will support and cooperate with the Dutch Caribbean islands, especially Bonaire and St. Eustatius with the cases of violation of International agreements and human rights, that our local leaders, government and politicians are ignoring.
Nos Ke Boneiru Bek, by invitation of Independence of St. Martin Foundation, later participated in a conference concerning Kingdom relations. Joseph Lake of St. Maarten, Croes of Aruba, Clyde van Putten of St. Eustatius and James Finies of Bonaire have expounded on the present situation and the development of the constitutional status of their island.
Dr. Corbin, United Nations (UN) decolonization expert and NKBB consultant, was the keynote speaker, who spoke on the unfinished agenda of the Caribbean on decolonization. Holland has been misleading the International community, claiming that the so-called autonomous status of the Dutch Caribbean Islands from 1954, was a status of free association, but the framework and the standards of free association were defined until 1960, and Holland still maintains an important residual power position and the Democratic Deficit in the Kingdom has not been re-evaluated to the United Nation’s level.
The cases of Bonaire and Statia have been discussed, specifically the anchoring/sealing in the Dutch Constitution of the Public Entity status that has been rejected by both islands, Bonaire and Statia, in their referendums. Recently again the vast majority of the population did not go out to vote and maintained their position of rejection against the Dutch second chamber to continue to govern and impose laws on the islands, was a point of urgency and of importance for all the islands to unite and support Bonaire and Statia against the anchoring, that the new Dutch government has on their program to finalize.
Xiomara Baletina and Jacinta Brice of the Brighter Path Foundation and van Putten and Charles Woodley of the Progressive Labor Party of St. Eustatius and Lake of the Independence for St. Martin Foundation and James Finies of Nos Ke Boneiru Bek at the end of the conference resolved to make a formal step of unification between the islands and form the Caribbean Progressive Alliance, where other organizations of all the other islands may affiliate to form a cooperation, and a collaboration between the Caribbean islands to stand together to defend and achieve the rights and desires of their people.
The objectives outlined by the founders for the different Islands are: Re-inscription of Bonaire and St. Eustatius on the United Nations list of Non-self-governing-territories; Achieve an evaluation of self-government for Bonaire and St. Eustatius; Allow the people of Bonaire and St. Eustatius to exercise their right of self-determination as stated in resolution 1514 and 1541 of the United Nations; Support and cooperate with St. Marten (South) with their aspirations for independence.
Within the framework for support and solidarity and primarily our direct action to stop the anchoring/sealing of Bonaire and St. Eustatius in the Dutch Constitution against the wishes of the people. NKBB has held various fruitful meetings with the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Mr. Marlin was presented Bonaire’s case in booklet form exposing the atrocities committed by Holland since 10-10-10, and St. Maarten Consumers Coalition, Claire. Elshot-Aventurin of the Windward Islands Chamber of Labor Unions, Mr. Bute of the United NGO Federation, Raymond Jessurun of the St. Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association, the Anti-Poverty platform and also various interviews at SOS Radio and PJD2 Radio and other means of communication.
James Finies, President Nos Ke Boneiru Bek Foundation
