Country Section Suriname | NRC Handelsblad: “Bouterse, Alibux said involved in December Executions”
Latin America Report No. 2691.
Metioning this file: https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/1983/05/De-gebeurtenissen-in-Paramaribo-Suriname-8-13-december-1982-NJCM-rapport.pdf
COUNTRY SECTION SURINAME
“BOUTERSE, ALIBUX SAID INVOLVED IN DECEMBER EXECUTIONS”
Rotterdam
NRC HANDELSBLAD in Dutch
16 May 83
p 4
/Article by editor Franz van Klavern based on the book, The
December Murders in Suriname, Report of an Eyewitness. It has
a postface by Doctoral Candidate H. Chin A. Sen, published by
World ¥indow, Bussum, price 9.50 guilders: “Bouterse, Alibux
Involved in Executions”/
/Text/ A number of leaders in the present Suriname society are
directly involved in the blood bath which cost the lives of 14
Surinamers and 1 Dutchman last year on the night of 8 and 9
December at Port Zeelandia in Paramaribo. This revelation—and
others—appear in the pocketbook, The December Murders in
Suriname—Report of an Eyewitness, which appeared today.
As the writer states, the following were involved in the preparations for the massacre, which ran according to a script:
Commander Desi Bouterse, deputy commander, the deceased Roy Horb,
the present Suriname Prime Minister Errol Alibux, former minister,
Harvey Naarendorp, Minister Badriessen Sital, Palu ideologist
Iwan Krolis and the military man, Paul Bhagwandas.
Except for Krolis, they were all in the fort when the execution
of the 15 critics of the Bouterse government took place, as the
book relates. According to the writer, only Bouterse shot down
victims with his own hand, namely trade union leader Cyril Daal
and the military man, Soerindre Rambocus. Bouterse reportedly
first castrated Daal personally: an injury which was confirmed
later after examination of witnesses in a report of the Netherlands Jurist Committee. The rest were killed by an execution
squad which was organized by the “executioner of Paramaribo,
Paul Bhagwandas.
The writer of the book is remaining anonymous “to protect his
life” because “my role in present day Suriname is still not
finished.” His book is based—so it appears from the preface—
tt
mainly on notes made after detailed conversations with Roy Horb,
who after the massacre fell into disfavor himself and was found
dead in a cell block on 3 February 1983 under very suspicious
circumstances.
Somewhere in the book Horb says, who obviously began to speak
when he saw his life threatened: “If I should die in a traffic
accident, drowning or whatever, you will know one thing, I was
murdered, murdered by Desi and his gang.”
After the vicissitudes connected with Hitler’s diary, Bouterse’s
supporters will discount the “Report of an Eyewitness” as a
falsification. This will not go over easily for former president, doctoral candidate Henk Chin a Sen, who also kept a journal
of his conversations with Roy Korb, comes to the following conclusion in the postface: “This book is a truthful report of some
aspects of what took place in Suriname on 8 December 1982. The
information and many passages agree with what Major R. Horb and
others told me in that period.”
Details
Moreover, the book has so much detailed information that it can
only have been written by an insider. A number of the atrocities
he reported, moreover, were already revealed partly in other ways
from “talkative Suriname,” in various Dutch media sources.
The book becomes even more credible because of the J
a
jt that
Prime Minister Alibux in the government statement of 1 May 1983
does not say a word about the death of the 15, let alone that he
would desire an investigation regarding the guilty parties.
The book begins with the bewilderment in part of the then Council
of Ministers when the events in Port Zeelandia are revealed.
Commander Bouterse, who submits the report and in passing tries
to confuse the ministers present with a ridiculous story about
an air attack, “appears completely unmoved.” He carries a red
briefcase under his arm. It was the grimest meeting which ever
had taken place in the room.
Restrained
The ministers present appear not to have the faintest idea of
what iook place that night behind the fort’s walls; it was only
heard that Daal reportedly was dead. According to the book,
Bouterse was very reserved with the mini-Council of Ministers in
providing information.
56
“The bewilderment in the room changes into a desperate process
of elimination. Is Baboeram involved? And Gonsalves? And
Hoost? And Riedewald? Bouterse nods after having consulted the
papers in his brief case by each name.” Minister Leeflang then
fainted, it was necessary to revive Prime Minister Neijhorst by
pulling on his beard.
The book also describes the alienation which increases between
Commander Bouterse and Deputy Commander Horb. Horb—always more
isolated and after the blood bath no longer sure of his life—
appears to have provided the writer full and detailed information
about the consultations which preceded the abuses and the massacre.
Horb—indispensable as “flag” of the military authority—was
always included when the plans were already in a rather advanced
stage. Confronted with very dubious faits accomplis, however,
he always chooses Desi Bouterse’s side, although it comes to
open clashes in so doing. So, according to the book, Horb was
not aware of the plans to kill those arrested; he assumed that
they were only arrested.
Eyewitnesses
Prom Horb’s notes, which were reproduced in Keport of an Eyewitness: “Bhagwandas then referred to the agreement which was
made earlier to kill all 16 men. I did not understand what I
heard and asked for an explanation. Bouterse related the reasons. I (Horb, therefore FvK /expansion unknown/) then said that
nothing like that could take place and it would be a terrible
shock to the community. Alibux answered: a strong shock must
precisely be produced in this community to stir up everybody.
The revolution, so Alibux said, did not create that emotional
shock in 1980. This is the reason why the community’s style of
living has not changed. Moreover, as long as the counterrevolutionary forces still get the chance to agitate, the revolution
will never be successful. ¥e have no choice and moreover, it
must start with a terror effect. After a short period of unrest,
people will quiet down afterward and only then will it be possible to govern.”
»I (Horb,therefore PvK) did not understand what I heard. I have
already gone through a lot, but this is the limit. I looked at
Alibux and could not utter a word.”
Still Horb takes part in the game. He even quarrels with
Bouterse when he wants to save the life of trade union leader,
Fred Derby. If Cyril Dall must die, then Derby should also,
that is Horb’s point of view.
57
Harbinger of Death
The book describes extensively the executions for which Harvey
Naarendorp invents the excuse »shot dead while escaping. According to the book, Bouterse himself appears to want to act as
the announcer of the death sentence. ȴhen Daal (on hearing
his death sentence – PvK) began to cry, Bouterse said that a
man does not cry and that therefore Daal has no right o a ex
organ! He took a bayonet from Bhagwandas and cas*
rat??e^on
with it. Daal was on the verge of unconsciousness. Thereupon
the commander took a pistol and shot him.
Minister Harvey Naarendorp left the fort »while the executions
were in progress, staggering like a drunkard.
The Report of an Eyewitness is divided into two parts. The
second Part describes Horb’s last weeks; the number of his
direct quotations decreases. But even in ^is stage;-up to and
including Horb’s burial-the book is characterized by extensive
detailed description.
lion, ana t„J”Sfr reveals the identities of those who «.if*
Horb’s cell just before his death.
ThP last meeting between Bouterse and Horb is dramatic, »full of
Interpersonal emotions which are concealed by rigid and formal
military behavior.”
Bouterse—who shoots down Daal and Bambocus with his own handemerges in the book as the one who did not want Horb’s death
at any rate hesitates about it. According to the book, after
Horb’s death, he was dead drunk for 2 days.
8490
CSO: 3214/35