Date: October 7, 2010
Re: new political structure Bonaire as per October 10, 2010.
Dear Sir,
Introducing myself: My name is Serrio James Finies, born in Bonaire Netherlands Antilles on July 13, 1964. My parents: Ellba E. Christiaan en Serrio I Finies were also born in Bonaire. My grandparents and great-grandparents were all born in Bonaire. I, my parents, grandparents etc. have lived all our lives in Bonaire. I feel that as a result I may call myself an indigenous Bonairian ( more than five/six generations and even more) and who is entitled to speak out about the present situation on a personal basis and title.
We all have been able to learn from the media that Bonaire and two other Antillian islands, Saba and St. Eustatius will become a special municipality or public entity of the Netherlands and that the Netherlands Antilles as a country will come to an end. This new state structure has come into being as the result of a referendum held in 2004 whereby a majority of Bonaire chose for the option “laso directo”, meaning direct ties with the Netherlands.
The explanation and information communicated to me and the population at the time was, that Bonaire would get more access to financial support and development funds which were up to then distributed through Curaçao ( read: State Netherlands Antilles). Bonaire would then be less dependent on Curaçao as far as development funds are concerned and would be able to create for itself more economic possibilities etc.
Hereby the Netherlands will help Bonaire, assist with the central functions which in the past were coordinated through Curaçao ( read State Netherlands Antilles). Bonaire will then get the possibilities to stand on its own two legs in the future and develop itself better. Nowhere and never it was communicated to me, neither to any other Bonairians that Bonaire would be integrated into the Netherlands, that Bonaire would become a special municipality ( public entity) of the Netherlands, and most certainly not before, during or after the referendum.
That was no option at the referendum and no information indicated that we had to cede Bonaire to the Netherlands. Even worse was the indication that we would become more independent from the other partners with the support of the Netherlands To my utter astonishment, Bonaire has been taken away from the Bonairians ( like me) and given to the Netherlands in a rather underhand manner. This is completely against the spirit and resolutions of the United Nations, whereas the Netherlands, as former coloniser, should have supported us, Bonairians in any way on our way to complete autonomy.
My personal opinion on this is that this decision of change of status took place without my knowledge and approval as a citizen. According to me this action is directly against my and other Bonairians’ emancipation rights. I will describe in a simple way how I have personally experienced our emancipation and development thus far. My grandparents and my parents had their problems, economically and financially. They had to live very creatively with agriculture, husbandry and fishing, from the island of Bonaire. They succeeded. There were few economic and financial possibilities.
I myself grew up with very few comforts ( no house of our own, no electricity, no toilet/bathroom etc.) and had to find out day by day what we would eat or whether we would have something to eat. By these experiences I have learned to have respect for others and to appreciate little things, to appreciate the value of nothing. Our value was in the education which our parents gave us and was not economically /financially connected.
Now I understand that value better and better, because no economic or financial motives can replace my principles and standards. I mean with this that we have learned to live with what we have and learn to grow with our own possibilities, by working hard. As a result I have been able to learn and experience what freedom is and to enjoy it. I do not discriminate, not in any respect, no colour, race, religion etc. because everybody is a human being, like me, and with the same right to be himself.
As a result to respect anybody and for myself and to fight for others ( help them) by working hard and to grow in proportion with your own talents. This is my value and it is my freedom and I will not let it be taken away from me. My children have now what I did not have and that is for me our goal as parents and human beings. I will not and cannot accept that I have to accept now that we are incapable, and that ironically with all we have now and we must passively give up and that our right to develop and emancipate has been taken away from us.
I do not live in the past and therefore I do not hate the Netherlands and the Dutch. I have forgiven them and have forgotten that my great-great-grandparents were their slaves, I have forgiven them and have forgotten that my grandparents had to manage for themselves, although as a former colony they needed more care and support because their own development had been halted for decennia, I have forgiven them that my parents had to raise us in very difficult social conditions and although men have already walked on the moon, consequently the world was well developed, while they had to bring us up in misery.
I support all this forgiving and forgetting, not to look back, blame nobody for it. I am serious about this and have lived like this all my life, I have no enemies and hate nobody. I am capable of this, so I think that other people can do it too as human beings and we can work together for a better world, where we respect each other and where we can mean something to each other.
But what I will never be able to forgive myself and will not to able to forget is that I am here now and will accept that I shall undermine, hamper, stop the natural development to independence and emancipation of my grandparents, my parents myself and my children. I have been able to understand it, freedom, no discrimination and respect each other and uphold everybody and I will not let go of is, for it is good for all of us.
I do not put the blame on our politicians of Bonaire, the Antilles or the Netherlands or anybody else, but I will not have the rights of myself and my children passively taken away from us. My children have a right to a better education, for better health care for better social well-being. The correction of the arrears in these fields may not be considered as a favour or gift for which we have to cede ours and our children’s right to develop to self-emancipation, self-governing and ultimately this natural emancipation-process to be turned back.
As my parents went through hard times to raise me and my brothers and to give us what they were capable of so we now will do everything for our children to give them the chance to realise the dreams we had and had not been able to realise, and to give them the opportunity to dream and to realize these, to give them more perspective for their future.
Bonaire is going to be integrated in the Netherlands, Bonairians are no longer Antillians on their way to complete de-colonisation and self-emancipation and autonomy, but will become an different kind of Dutchman with different ( fewer) rights than real European Dutchmen. As is shown now this process of state structure is irreversible, which I doubt very much, because everything is possible if only there is the goodwill to find solutions together and make both parties happy.
But above all this are my right and the rights of my children and other Bonairians in conformity with the Chapter of the United Nations, Chapter XI: “Declaration Regarding Non-self governing territories” and furthermore in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.,
Finally I declare officially by means of this letter that I do not accept the violation of my rights and the rights of my children and that I am not bound to this – in my opinion illegal status – and I will do everything in my power to see to it in a passive way that our right to self-government and self-determination of Bonaire ( my country) as former colony will be guaranteed.
I write this letter out of respect for my parents, grandparents etc, who have for generations fought for me, creatively and respectfully and I shall now do the same for my children and their children.
With kind regards,
James Finies
#3 Kaya Mamore
Bonaire
cc. Governor of the Netherlands Antilles
The cabinet of the Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
International Court of Justice
States of the Netherlands Antilles
Island Council of the Island Territory of Bonaire