NDP: We are not involved in the protest by Dutch citizens

Suriname: The NDP has noted that it has no involvement in various protests and sharp expressions of displeasure by Dutch citizens of Surinamese descent during the visit of the President of the Republic of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The NDP recognizes Anton de Kom as a national hero and has sympathy and recognition for the right to free expression and the right to stand up for the interests of people and groups. The peaceful way in which various organizations have drawn attention to the historical legacy, clarification of misconceptions and atrocities surrounding the person of Anton de Kom.

We hope that the government of Suriname is able to give substance to the valid arguments, which have been put forward by the various organizations in the Netherlands, expressed in a petition presented.

Likewise, we recognize the institution of the President. The NDP as a leading Surinamese party, which has had several government responsibilities and several NDP chairmen have also held the office of President, Father of the Fatherland, disapproves of the way in which the President has been treated by a few individuals. As the NDP has stated several times during protests in Suriname, the moment has not yet been reached when the NDP calls on people to protest against the mismanagement of the Santokhi-Brunswijk government. However, it is inconceivable that people are still responding to unfounded insinuations that our party in the Netherlands organized and financed the protest.

The NDP understands that from the Netherlands, Surinamese sympathize with the party or its chairman, but the party does not yet have a branch in the Netherlands.

We wish to re-emphasize that the NDP recognizes the right to free speech and forms of protest, however, within the allowable and according to the ideals of the party. Our observation on social media is that the protest demonstration was peaceful in nature, spoiled at times by negative statements and misbehavior by some individuals. Fortunately, the police did not have to intervene, but images have gone viral and a stain has been placed on Suriname and on the behavior of Surinamese in general.

We call on all Surinamese, here and around the world, to leave the path of ethnic division and refrain from such behaviour. Let us emphasize national unity, on that which binds us and work together for the further development of the nation of Suriname.