EU-DIGEST

Trial of Suriname ex-dictator to resume - by Ivan Cairo

A court here in Paramaribo has dismissed a motion filed by Suriname’s former dictator Desi Bouterse, who was seeking to remove the leading judge in his murder trial. The former army commander’s lawyer Irwin Kanhai submitted the motion on July 25th challenging the impartiality of the president of the Military Court, Cynthia Valstein-Montnor, while he was also seeking a court order to ban media from further covering of his murder trial.

Labels: Desi Bouterse, Netherlands, Suriname

France to improve law enforcement cooperation with Suriname

The French government have pledged 400,000 euros over the next four years to improve Suriname’s law-enforcement initiatives and advance cooperation in the fight against crime, French Ambassador Richard Barbeyron said during an anti-drugs and money-laundering seminar in Paramaribo. Suriname and the French overseas department, French Guiana, share the Marowijne River as border, while illegal activities such as smuggling of goods, drug trafficking and illegal small-scale gold mining is rampant in the border area. Law enforcement in the area so far has no strong effect since illegal miners flee to French-Guiana and vice versa when authorities of both countries clamp down on their activities. Closer cooperation between law enforcement agencies of the two nations is the only solution for the problems, Barbeyron told journalists. According to the diplomat Suriname is an important partner for France in its fight against transnational crime.

In 2001 Suriname’s justice minister Chandrikapersad Santokhi signed an agreement with then Interior Minister Nicholas Sarkozy to allow cross-border operation within a two kilometers area into each others space to chase criminals, but the Suriname government has yet to sanction the agreement because of parliamentary opposition.

Labels: EU, France, Suriname

Trial of former Suriname dictator suspended; defense questions judge's impartiality

Former Surinamese dictator Desi Bouterse's murder trial was suspended indefinitely on Friday after the defense questioned the impartiality of the leading judge. Bouterse's attorney said he recently learned that the judge's husband has free access to teach martial arts at facilities belonging to President Ronald Venetiaan's ruling National Party. Venetiaan is one of Bouterse's most outspoken opponents. "This, we fear, will damage my client's right to have his case heard by an impartial judge," lawyer Irwin Kanhai said.

Labels: Crime, Desi Bouterse, Netherlands, Suriname

Suriname - Witnesses: Bouterse present at political killings

In Suriname, a former Dutch colony, witnesses have testified before a military court that the country's former dictator Desi Bouterse was present at the killings of 15 political opponents in Fort Zeelandia in 1982. Bouterse and 24 others are being tried for the killings, known as the "December murders". The former dictator has always denied being present at the military base on the day of the murders. A former bodyguard testified to Bouterse's presence at the fort on the day in question as did a former member of a firing squad. The ex-dictator's secretary also testified that Bouterse was at the fort. Other witnesses testified to seeing Bouterse's bodyguards, hearing gunfire and seeing blood and body bags all over the place. The former army leader was not at the trial, which is expected to last for several months.

Bouterse seized power in a military coup in 1980 and stepped down in 1987. He briefly seized power again in 1991. In 1999, he was convicted in absentia for cocaine smuggling by the Netherlands. However, he has remained at liberty as Suriname does not extradite its citizens.

Labels: Desi Bouterse, Suriname

Going local in Suriname - by Vicky Barker

When Diana comes to my hostel's door, she is wearing a name badge: "Diana, Servas Suriname." I wouldn't have thought this was entirely necessary, given that there's only the two of us heading out for a drink, however it seems my travel-networking experiment has taken a more formal turn. I'm now in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, next to Guyana on the northern shores of South America, and stylishly dressed Diana is here in her official capacity: president of the local chapter of Servas, the world's oldest travel networking site. The internet may have driven the new wave of travel networking, but the original global hospitality project started back in 1949. With members in over 100 countries and a motto of promoting "peace through understanding", Servas (joomla.servas.org) was founded by an American pacifist, Bob Luitweiler, who died last month, aged 90. Most intriguingly, unlike the new websites, where anyone can sign up and log on, potential Servas members can only join after having a face-to-face interview.

Servas is an international, non-governmental, multicultural peace association run by volunteers in over 100 countries. Founded in 1949 by Bob Luitweiler as a peace movement, Servas International is a non-profit organization working to build understanding, tolerance and world peace. For more information and background on Bob Luitweiler’s vision, read his description in Seeds of Servas. They operate through a network of Servas hosts around the world who are interested in opening their doors to travellers , and of Servas travellers who want to get to know the heart of the countries they visit.
Servas helpers are members who support the goals of the organization in other ways, through leadership and communication or perhaps as a representative at the United Nations. Servas International has consultative status as a non-governmental organisation with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, with representation at many of the UN's hubs of activity.

Labels: Peace Movement, Servas, Suriname, UN Economic and Social Council

Suriname prosecutors say 1982 massacre by Bouterse and his supporters was no military operation, but a criminal act

Dismissing arguments from defense lawyers prosecutors in Suriname said, that the December 1982 slaying of 15 government opponents was not a military operation. Military prosecutor John Mohamedamin told a three panel military court that, although the killers might have used military weapons to commit the crimes, this doesn’t make it automatically a military operation. Not only army officers took part in the slaying said the prosecutor but also civilians. “This makes it an ordinary criminal act.” Mohamedamin argued. Dismissing arguments from defense lawyers prosecutors in Paramaribo said, that the December 1982 slaying of 15 government opponents was not a military operation.

On December 8, 1982, 15 men including lawyers, army officers, university lecturers, businessmen and journalists were rounded up by army personnel, tortured and shot dead in the Fort Zeelandia military headquarters in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. Bouterse, a two-time coup leader who remains a powerful political figure in Suriname, did not attend the court session at a naval base near the capital, Paramaribo. The former dictator seized control of Suriname by a coup in 1980, five years after the country gained independence from the Netherlands. He stepped down in 1987 under international pressure, but briefly seized power again in 1990.

The military legal panel has scheduled another hearing for Feb. 29, when defense attorneys and prosecutors will be allowed to present additional motions ahead of the trial, expected to begin sometime this year.

Labels: Desi Bouterse, Politics, Suriname, The Netherlands

Desi Bouterse - Suriname : progress in the trial is extremely slow

While the Bouterse trial in Suriname is moving at a snails pace Linda Petrusi of the Caribbeannetnews writes, "consociational democracy is nothing new to Suriname, a former colony of the Netherlands". "While it is true that Suriname has some manufacturing and industry (Suralco a subsidiary of Alcoa comes to mind), it is not enough to develop the type of environment needed to create cottage industries. "In addition", says Petrusi, "the selling of concessions ranging from timber to plants continues to feed the pockets of a few while the rest go without. If these examples do not inspire the members of the Suriname parliament to go back to the table and maintain some kind of dialogue, then what will? While President Venetiaan may ultimately be blamed, let’s remember that he inherited a demoralized country left by Desi Bouterse, who now stands trial for murder. If ever there was a time that tests the will and determination of Suriname, it is now. Power sharing and collaboration will prove far more meaningful to the citizens of Suriname than any policy or ethnicity. Prior to the military regime of the 80’s, Suriname already laid the foundation for consociationalism not only during colonialism, but post-colonialism as well".

In Latin America, the home to many oppressive military regimes in the 1970s and 1980s, charges have been brought—mostly for crimes against humanity—against half a dozen former rulers. Also in Suriname, the trial of dictator turned Drug Czar and Politician Desi Bouterse, for his role in the summary execution of 15 political opponents in 1982, began. Progress in the trial is extremely slow since the present judicial system of Suriname provides Mr. Bouterse all the courtesies of defense within todays democratic society of Suriname. A courtesy he never gave to the 15 innocent Surinamers, who were murdered with his consent and even possible participation in the actual killing.

To watch a video clip of Desi Bouterse who still has the ambition to be President of Suriname, but possibly could end up in jail, click on this link

Labels: Desi Bouterse, Suriname

Suriname/Paramaribo: Desi Delano Bouterse - The December massacre trial adjourned to December 17

Yesterday eleven of the nineteen persons suspected in the so-called "December Massacres" in Suriname appeared at a Military Court on the outskirts of Paramaribo. Security measures at the Court site, which used to be a former residence of Mr. Bouterse, were high. Of the eight suspected that did not appear, in spite of recall, was former military dictator Desi Bouterse. He is seen as the main culprit in the killing of fifteen prominent Surinamers in early December 1982. Following initial deliberations the military court adjourned the meeting to December 17 at the request of Cynthia Valstein-Montnor, the acting President of the Military Court. She also ordered that the Suriname Civil Court should make available all relevant documentation and files to those accused, who had not received this material, by December 6. During the 17 December meeting the legal representatives of the accused and those of the families of the victims will be allowed to argue for or against the legitimacy of the subpoenas served to the accused. Suriname a former Dutch colony became independent in 1975. Mr. Bouterse received his military training in the Netherlands and served in the Dutch army before Suriname's independence.

Labels: December Massacres, Desi Bouterse, Netherlands, Suriname

Desi Delano Bouterse on trial for massacres

For the complete report from the Caribbean Net News click on this link

The Bouterse Trial-Suriname police arrest alleged assassins - by Ivan Cairo

In his address to thousands supporters Monday night, Bouterse insisted that the government and parliament are not functioning properly while he cast doubt on the bi-partisanship and objectivity of the court and the judiciary. Suriname Justice Minister Santokhi disclosed that the authorities received intelligence that several individuals in the remote interior were armed by Bouterse and his supporters, while a top official from his party, NDP, traveled to a “neighbouring country” to recruit individuals to commit violent attacks in Suriname, including arson and murders. The Justice Minister claims that the destabilization and assassination plots have more to do then just derailing the upcoming trial. Interests of organized crime are also at stake here, according to the government official.Recently top crime leaders held a meeting to discuss actions aimed at bringing a halt to the assaults on their criminal enterprises by the authorities. During the past three years police have dismantled 9 of the 10 major criminal organizations in Suriname, including major drug trafficking rings with links to the Columbian rebel organization FARC.

Note EU-Digest Suriname, independent since 1975 from the Netherlands has had a turbulent political history so far. Desi Delano Bouterse, the present leader of the NDP political party in that country is assumed to be closely bound, not only with ongoing political unrest and crime in Suriname, but also with a military regime that controlled Suriname from 1980 until the beginning of the 1990s.

On February 25, 1980, the government of newly-independent Suriname underwent a military coup and Bouterse became Chairman of the National Military Council. Though the Suriname Presidency was retained, Bouterse became the nation’s de-facto ruler until his resignation in 1988. He even served briefly as President himself for a period in 1982. Bouterse is also considered the leading figure in Suriname’s post-independence civil war, and the main culprit behind the so-called “December murders” of 1982, and massacres in the Maroon (Bosneger) village of Moiwana in 1986. Since then he has also been accused on various occasions of involvement in illegal drug trafficking. In July 1999 he was convicted in absentia by the Netherlands for cocaine-trafficking. The Netherlands still has an international warrant for his arrest, which makes it almost impossible for him to leave Suriname. Unfortunately Suriname has not been able to extradite him to the Netherlands, because he is a former head of state. Today Suriname is finally slowly waking up from their fear and ready to prosecute the former dictator and some of his accomplices, whom have held the country in their grip for 25 years. This morning, November 30, 25 suspects, including Bouterse will be asked to appear before a Suriname court martial and tried for the executions, which went down in history as the "December killings". At that time 15 opponents of the military regime were summarily executed at the historical Dutch historical fort Zeelandia. One can only hope that justice will prevail and that Suriname can finally get rid of a "cancer" which has caused enormous harm to the credibility of that country as a viable Democratic state.

Labels: Council of Europe, Desi Bouterse, Military, Suriname, The Netherlands, Trial

Tullow Oil said yesterday it plans to drill 25 more wells at Suriname, on the north-eastern corner of South America, after striking oil there earlier this month.

According to Tullow, the Tambaredjo and Calcuta fields in Suriname produce about 13,000 barrels of oil a day and have more than 1bn barrels of proven reserves. Tullow's partner in the project is state oil company Staatsolie Maatschappij Surinam

Labels: EU, Oil Exploration, Suriname