WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4162/97 by Leonie van BLADEL to the Council. Concern about the human rights situation in Suriname
Date: 1998-01-22
Institutions: European Parliament, VAN BLADEL
Subjects: EU relations, Netherlands, Surinam, arrest, civil war, human rights, illegal restraint

2. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 304/11

(98/C 304/15)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4161/97

by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Council

(22 January 1998)

Subject: Concern about the possibility of EU citizens being taken hostage by Suriname

Is the Council aware of the arrest of 27 civilians and military personnel on 25 October 1997 in Suriname in

1.
response to the planning of an alleged coup?

2.
Is the Council aware that it has now become known, inter alia through information from the human rights
organization Moiwana 86(cid:146), that a large number of those arrested and alleged to be involved in the planning of the
coup of 25 October 1997 have been seriously abused?

Does  the  Council  realize  that  through  the  serious  abuse  or  torture  of  the  detainees  it  is  easy  to  obtain
3.
statements whereby foreigners, including Dutch nationals, can be accused of responsibility for the planning of
the coup of 25 October 1997?

4.
Is the Council not afraid that the statements by the Suriname state councillor Desi Bouterse, concerning the
involvement of foreign powers including the Netherlands, in the planning of the alleged coup and the threats
made by Bouterse in the media to foreign powers, including the Netherlands will ultimately lead to the arrest or
hostage-taking of foreign citizens, including Dutch nationals, on the grounds that they were allegedly involved in
planning the coup, based on statements from tortured detainees on the involvement of these foreigners, including
Dutch nationals, in the planning of this coup?

Has the Council prepared as effectively as possible to be able to take successful action if the above situation

5.
becomes a reality as a result of the actions of the Suriname authorities?

(98/C 304/16)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4162/97

by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Council

(22 January 1998)

Subject: Concern about the human rights situation in Suriname

Is the Council aware of the arrest of 27 civilians and military personnel on 25 October 1997 in Suriname in

1.
response to the planning of an alleged coup?

2.
Is the Council prepared to disclaim the action of the Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs who gave the
order to hand over to the Suriname judicial authorities one of the alleged suspects who came to the Netherlands
embassy  in  his  underwear  to  apply  for  asylum  in  October  1997  given  the  fact  that,  in  relation  to  a  previous
alleged coup on 8 December 1982, it is known that 15 people who were arrested on allegations of involvement in
a coup were summarily executed in Paramaribo?

3.
Is the Council aware of the fact that the Suriname state councillor Desi Bouterse has publicly accused a
number of leading figures in Suriname of treason, including the human rights activist Stanley Rensch and the
journalists Iwan Brave and Johny Kamperveen and the newspaper Ware Tijd and what consequences does the
Council draw from this?

(98/C 304/17)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4163/97

by Leonie van Bladel (UPE) to the Council

(22 January 1998)

Subject: Measures in the event of EU citizens being taken hostage by Suriname

Is the Council aware of the arrest of 27 civilians and military personnel on 25 October 1997 in Suriname in

1.
response to the planning of an alleged coup?

Does the Council not consider that the allegations of the Suriname state councillor Desi Bouterse, which he
2.
made  recently  in  the  Suriname  media  on  the  involvement  of  foreign  powers,  including  the  Netherlands,  in
planning the alleged coup are a reaction by the former dictator to the inquiry carried out by the Netherlands
Justice Ministry together with the American DEA into Bouterse(cid:146)s drug-related activities, this judicial inquiry
having recently led to an international investigation and extradition request for Bouterse?