THE HAGUE - The Caribbean part of the Kingdom should not be seen as a “footnote”. That is what the Dutch Member of Parliament Sylvana Simons of the BIJ1 party argued on Tuesday during the debate on the government statement. The MP and Prime Minister Mark Rutte were the only ones who referred to the islands in the 12-hour debate.
“We can no longer see Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Statia and Saba as a footnote, but we must see them as essential partners who should have a sincere and equal voice in decision-making, including about their own living environment,” said Simons.
The MP also called for “a solid vision for the fight against institutional racism, starting with the recognition of and apologies for the terror of the Dutch slavery and colonial past.”