Excellency,
Meanwhile the Caribbean nations and peoples are aspiring integration and reparations, the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire is under a continuing Dutch colonial rule and moving towards dictatorship by oppression and violation of freedom of speech. Take note of our previous attached letter of March 15, 2019 to our governor Mr. Rijna where we reported and denounced the Dutch State and Dutch media – violation of human rights freedom of free press.
On the 6th of September 2019, Bonairian Human Rights Activist James Finies was arrested with excessive use of force. Charges were described as: “For not following the orders of the police”. Mr. Finies did not break any rules. Mr. Finies was not protesting nor blocking the traffic or harming anyone. He was at the time displaying his newspapers on a tiny table along with 2 flags – a Bonaire and United Nations Flags. There was a mannequin and one volunteer with T- shirt displaying the logo “Re-list Bonaire on the Non-Self Governing Territories (NSGT) List”. Mr Finies, president of the foundation We Want Bonaire Back prior to this unlawful act notified the authorities according to the local regulations and received affirmative confirmation from the governor Mr Rijna without a specified location to stand, so he choose a spot out of the way of everything on the day of Bonaire Celebrations, but in the view of the day’s presentation. Note, mr Finies demonstrated with protest-boards, 24/7 – nonstop- day and night, without leaving and sleeping outside the same Government Office in 2014 – 2015 for 8 months as protest and demand for a referendum without ever being arrested or removed. Why do they arrest him now?
James Finies sacrificed himself for his country and the people to get a referendum on the illegal Dutch annexation and integration of Bonaire in which he succeeded. On the 18th of December 2015 the government of Bonaire held a Referendum. The people voted overwhelmingly, a 66 percent rejecting the present Constitutional Status of Bonaire. Instead of respecting the wishes of a nation, Holland parliament decided unilaterally to embed – anchor Bonaire and its people into the Dutch Constitution with unequal rights in 2017. James Finies, on behalf of the Foundation NKBB and the 66 percent of the people who voted in the December 18th 2015 referendum, is lobbying to the United Nations and the world to re-inscribe and relist Bonaire on the Non-Self Governing Territories “protective list” of the United Nation’s. The people of Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean, did not choose to be embedded in the Dutch Constitution and are being governed in a status not of their choosing while not being granted equal rights as the Dutch Citizens in Europe.
This was a dark day in the history of our beautiful island of Bonaire. The unlawful and shameful arrest of Human Rights Defender and Activist James Finies is a clear violation of the “Freedom of Speech” of the people of Bonaire in the 21st Century. We demand that the Dutch Government and Bonaire Police Force will be held accountable.
We count on the support from Caricom and our fellow Caribbean peoples to condemn this act of cowardliness and abuse of power with the aim to silence the voice of our peoples struggle against re-colonialism and institutionalized reemerging of Dutch-Apartheid in the Caribbean region. Please support us by disseminating our petition: http://chng.it/sGHxtD7HGV among your member states.
Yours Sincerely, James Finies, president Foundation We Want Bonaire Back
Bonaire, March 15, 2019
To: Mr Edison Rijna, governor of Bonaire
Plaza Wilhelmina 1
Bonaire
Subject: Dutch State and Dutch media gestapo tactics – violation of human rights freedom of free press
Honorable governor Rijna,
With this letter we denounce conspiracy and extortion by the Dutch State interference to undermine the Bonerian press and media fundamental right to freedom of free press. Recently on March 6th the mayor leading daily newspaper of Bonaire, the Extra, on page 31, through an editorial article denounced that they were approached by the Dutch media, based on a “general media pact and agreement”, to conspire to boycott and silence Mr. James Finies, president of the civil society organization : foundation Nos Ke Boneiru Bek (We Want Bonaire Back).
Governor Rijna, a non-democratic appointed governor-institution, representing the King and Kingdom, maintaining powers above/and to over-rule the elected government, main duty is the legal protection of the rule of international law and as such to respect, to protect and to comply with our peoples rights. Above described gestapo tactics by the Dutch State and Dutch media conspiracy and intimidation of the local media could lead to a totalitarian or dictatorship rule if the people are not informed by free press. Mr Rijna should take note of the fact as the people if they are not informed freely, cannot make up ones mind and cannot have an opinion. They will be deprived not only from its capacity to act but also of its capacity to think and to judge. With such a people you can then do what you please.
As Mr Rijna is aware that our foundation NKBB has position itself towards the upcoming elections advising the people of Bonaire to protest and boycott this election to vote blank or no vote. Contrary to Mr Rijna press-conference urging the people to use their sacred rights to go vote in a illegal system, rejected by the people and where the power is held by the Dutch parliament in the Hague. A blank vote or no vote is internationally recognized as same, exercise of this sacred right. This “protest-vote” is to demonstrate the peoples dissatisfaction of political alienation by the imposed current political system of public entity and as rejection of the Dutch democratic trap to legitimize the 1st chamber, the Dutch senate, with the ultimate aim to legalize the current illegal status and all imposed laws against the Bonerian peoples. Our “protest-vote” is also in solidarity with the peoples of our sister island Sint Eustatius. Statians cannot vote and are deprived from their “sacred-democratic-rights” because the Dutch government deposed the legitimate elected government in February 2018 through undemocratic abusive legislative, military and police actions and stopped the scheduled free election.
Our main request to Mr Rijna as governor is to condemn above revelation of the Dutch state and media conspiracy and blackmail against the Bonaire free press as a serious threat and commence a investigation. Secondly please rectify your last public statement of misinformation and to tell the people of Bonaire the truth that a blank vote or no vote is also a legal exercise of their “sacred”democratic right as a “protest vote” . And finally as Mr Rijna inspiring initiative of promoting, voting, by writing 685 personal letters towards the first-time-youth-voters on Bonaire to go vote. It would be morally correct, an heroic act of compassion and brotherhood towards our alienated brothers of Sint Eustatius that are deprived of democracy and cannot vote to do same and write 150 letters to all Dutch 2nd chamber parliament members and another 75 letters more to all members of the Dutch Senate requesting them to restore democracy back on Sint Eustatius so the peoples of Sint Eustatius can also make use of their sacred democratic right as civilized peoples in the Kingdom.
Sincerely yours,
James Finies, president Foundation We Want Bonaire Back