Counter-Coup Rumors: Further Deterioration in Situation in Suriname

F-1988-00163

  1. (C) Entire text
  2. Well-substantiated rumors of a counter-coup discovered and thwarted by the National Military Council (NMC) last weekend are circulating through Paramaribo. Minister President Chin A Sen is scheduled to address the nation on television tonight, and informed speculation is that he will announce a state of emergency and martial law. While the present situation does not seem to indicate that this might cause an outbreak of civil disturbance, the military here is obviously affected with a bad case of jitters. Consequently, we are preparing a contingency “stay off the streets” notice for U.S. citizens, though at present the likelihood of having to use it is, hopefully, remote.
  3. According to information from several usually-reliable sources, a former army officer now resident in Holland (FNU) Ormskirk was arrested by the NMC in Albina (on the border river between Suriname and French Guiana) May 3 and shot. Ormskirk a month ago told Dutch newspapers that he, prior to the Feb. 25 military mutiny, had been planning a coup d’état of his own, scheduled for early spring (Easter).
  4. We know also from first-hand observation and reports that military activity was considerably heightened at Memre Boekoe Kazerne here during the weekend, with rigid security measures reintroduced, though there were few signs in town itself. We also know that senior parliamentarians — including former opposition leader Jaggernath Lachmon — were picked up for questioning, allegedly since their names appeared on Ormskirk’s lists.
  5. NMC itself appears increasingly frustrated by difficulties, especially in reorganizing the army into an effective fighting force, and by widening ideological gulf between NMC members. Overall attitude regarding Chin A Sen’s May 1 speech seems to be “cautious and sees,” overall level of unease has been raised, and many more bitter anti-NMC comments are being heard privately.
  6. Politically, the situation is unclear. Surinamese are generally characterized as a relatively passive folk, which would tend to ensure that any serious counter-coup attempts are less likely here…

[CENSORED]

Oostrander

Source:

C09000027

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Internal Link:

https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Counter-Coup-Rumors-Further-Deterioration-in-Situation-in-Suriname-May-1980-C09000027.pdf

Date:
May 5, 1980
Categories:
Desi Bouterse, Foiled Coups & Plots, Planned Suriname Invasion
Tags:
Memre Boekoe Kazerne
Boxes:
F-1988-00163
Years:
1980
Persons:
Chin A Sen, Desi Bouterse, Jaggernath Lachmon, Oostrander, Ormskirk
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META DATA

CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 PARAMA 00810 0521082
ACTION ARA-15

AN: D800224-05,4
INFO: OCT-01 EUR-12 ADS-00 CIAE-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 SSO-00 ICAE-00 INRE-00 F80-05 DCT-02 HA-05 SR-04 AID-07 CCO-00 PM-05 H-01 INR-10 L-03 ACDA-12 NSC-05 SP-02 OC-06 OPR-02 PA-01 Li SS-00 CA-01 A-02 OCS-06 OMB-01 SS-15 SY-05 ANAE-00 SYE-00 MC-02 /130 W

007340 0521 142 /67
Z 0 0519402 MAY 80

FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC FLASH 6335
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE FLASH
INFO AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN IMMEDIATE
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AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN IMMEDIATE
AMCONSUL MARTINIQUE IMMEDIATE
DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PN IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINGSTON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
AMCONSUL CURACAO IMMEDIATE

CONFIDENTIAL PARAMARIBO 0810
PANAMA FOR SALG

E.O. 12065: XDS-4 5/5/00 (OSTRANDER, NANCY) OR-M
TAGS: PINS, PORS, PINT, PGOV, MILI, NS, AEMR
SUBJECT: COUNTER-COUP RUMORS: FURTHER DETERIORATION IN SITUATION IN SURINAME

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