Military Requests Civilian Government Resignation

F-2012-32749

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2012-32749 Doc No. C05267143 Date: 01/03/2013
Confidential
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0 050230Z Feb 82 ZFF-4
FM Amembassy Paramaribo
TO Secstate WashDC NIACT Immediate 8406
INFO Amembassy The Hague Priority
Amembassy Brasilia Priority
Amembassy Georgetown Priority
Amembassy Caracas Priority
Amembassy Bridgetown Priority
Amconsul Curacao Priority

Confidential Paramaribo 0231
Released in full
E.O. 12065: GDS 2/5/88 (La Roche, Richard R.) OR-M
TAGS: PINS, NS
Subject: Military Requests Civilian Government Resignation
Ref: Paramaribo 0230

  1. (U) In a brief televised announcement at 1:30 PM local time February 4, Army Commander Lt Col Desire Bouterse, flanked by Garrison Commander, Major Roy Horb; Battalion Commander Henk Fernandes; and Chairman of the National Military Council (NMR) Iwan Graanoogst, made a brief statement on behalf of the “military authority” which set aside the present civilian government and returned power to the military. There was no mention of any resumption of civilian rule.
  2. (C) Bouterse’s statement contained the following elements: During a February 3 meeting of the Council of Ministers, differences of opinion arose which made further “productive cooperation” within the government impossible. After speaking with the President and other ministers involved in the dispute, the Army Command “decided to ask the Chin A Sen government to return its mandate.” As of 4:00 PM February 4, 1982, the ruling power rests solely with the military authority. Within “a very short time” definite decisions will be taken by the military regarding government rule. The military and police have the present situation in hand and there is no cause for either alarm or panic.
  3. (C) Bouterse and company’s appearance was followed by a public announcement which called upon all Peoples’ Committees and District Councils to assemble in Paramaribo at NMR headquarters at 7:00 PM February 5 to discuss the present political crisis. (Embassy has learned of the existence of a circular letter calling for Chin A Sen’s resignation. Its origin and intended use is not known to us, but the calling up of the NMR-inspired committees and councils could provide the occasion for a contrived popular endorsement of the military’s action.)
  4. (C) Comment: Earlier today (February 4) (see reftel notal) we reported that there had been a dispute during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on February 3. A presidential spokesman announced at 2:30 PM local time February 4 that conflicts existed but that no resignations were expected. MFA Perm Sec (Kolader) repeated to us that no political crisis was imminent. Lt Col Bouterse this evening cited the confrontation and resulting paralysis as the reason for withdrawing the civilian government mandate to rule.
  5. It is impossible to predict at this time whether the civilian component of this military-civilian junta has been permanently removed or whether it is an action by the military to install a new government more to its liking. Chin A Sen’s future is a question mark. Our best information, however, is that he is safe and under no extraordinary constraint.
  6. As of 11:00 PM February 4, the streets of Paramaribo were quiet, the level of police and military presence was, if anything, lower than normal, and there had been no adjustment in the midnight to 4:00 AM curfew. The only remarkable thing Emboffs observed was a great number of civilian cars parked outside the brightly lighted palace.

La Roche

Confidential
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UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2012-32749 Doc No. C05267143 Date: 01/03/2013

Source:

C05267143

Link:

Internal Link:

https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Military-Requests-Civilian-Government-Resignation-February-1982-C05267143.pdf

Date:
February 5, 1982
Categories:
Desi Bouterse, Foiled Coups & Plots, Planned Suriname Invasion
Tags:
Boxes:
F-2012-32749
Years:
1982
Persons:
Desi Bouterse, La Roche, Roy Horb
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