Recent Events in Suriname

F-2012-32744

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2012-32744 Doc No. C06033931 Date: 02/22/2017
CONFIDENTIAL

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FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8858
INFO AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
CONFIDENTIAL PARAMARIBO 1510
E.O. 12065: GDS 07/14/88 (La Roche, Richard R.) OR-M
TAGS: ELAB PINS PINT US

SUBJ: Recent Events in Suriname

REF: A) PARAMARIBO 1297; B) PARAMARIBO 1467; C) PARAMARIBO 1343

  1. (U) Summary: Disagreements within the Suriname Teachers Federation (FOLS) had led to the ouster of FOLS Chairman Hendrick Sylvester. A new FOLS board has resumed negotiations with the Ministry of Education concerning a new teachers labor agreement. The 12:00 to 4:00 a.m. curfew which has been in effect virtually continuously since the February 25, 1980 coup was cancelled on July 1, 1982. As a compensatory security measure, the area around the main army base, Memre Boekoe Kaserne, is now sealed off to traffic from 12:00 until 4:00 a.m. Minister Glenn Sankatsing will attend the NAM emergency session in Cyprus on the Lebanese crisis. Reportedly, the GOS condemns Israeli aggression. A Cuban delegation is scheduled to arrive in Suriname on July 14. The composition of the delegation and the purpose of the visit is unknown at this time. End summary.
  2. (U) Teachers face labor problems: The dissident teachers union leaders, who had sought to unseat Suriname Teachers Federation (FOLS) Chairman H. Sylvester for his soft approach in recent negotiations on a new labor agreement with the Ministry of Education (MINOV) (see ref A) finally succeeded last week. At a FOLS council meeting on July 9, it was determined that the Sylvester board mandate would be withdrawn and an interim board was authorized to resume negotiations for a new collective labor agreement with MINOV. Initial discussions between MINOV and FOLS have disclosed that there remain serious differences (one example is the FOLS demand that salary increases be retroactive to January 1, 1981, while MINOV has offered retroactivity to October 1, 1981). In order to bring some pressure to bear on MINOV to make concessions, selective labor actions (sickouts and early school closings) are now being initiated. A 10:00 a.m. walkout on July 14 is also planned. At this point, however, the negotiations continue.
  3. (C) Comment: Minister of Education Rusland and Minister of Finance Neijhorst have sought to convince the FOLS to moderate its demands by explaining the economic constraints under which the government must work (reduced revenue from bauxite, rice, etc.). We expect that a compromise will eventually be worked out, although not before some minor strike action. It does not appear at this time that the teacher’s issue will be a catalyst for widespread labor unrest, although GOS acceptance of FOLS demands could motivate other civil servants to escalate their demands during renegotiation of contracts this summer, that could lead to a possibly explosive government-labor confrontation.
  4. (C) Curfew lifted: As part of the “Emancipation Day” celebration on July 1, Army Commander Desire Bouterse announced that the 12-4 a.m. curfew had been lifted. A curfew was initially instituted immediately after the February 25, 1980 coup and continued until February 25, 1982 when it was discontinued on the second anniversary of the “revolution.” Just over two weeks later, a small band of men, led by ex-military man Rambocus, staged a coup attempt which failed and the curfew was reinstalled. Although the curfew has once again been dropped, Bouterse has taken steps to avoid a recurrence of the Rambocus affair which he blames in part on the freedom of dissidents to move freely after dark with no controls in effect. Now the roads around the main army barracks are blocked off from 12-4 a.m., and the camp more securely guarded.
  5. (U) Minister Sankatsing to NAM meeting in Cyprus: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Minister of Labor and Social Affairs) Glenn Sankatsing departed Suriname on July 13 to attend the NAM emergency session in Cyprus. According to a Suriname News Agency press release, the GOS had sent a representative to the meeting in response to the NAM chairman’s call “to demonstrate solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples who have suffered under Israeli aggression.”
  6. (C) Comment: Sankatsing is a member of the Revolutionary People’s Party (RVP) and one of the most radical members in the present cabinet. The GOS has condemned the Israeli activity in Lebanon and Sankatsing will likely support motions censuring Israel and advocating Palestinian rights.
  7. (C) More Cuban visitors: According to MFA Acting Protocol Chief Walter Greaves (PROTECT), a Cuban “cultural” delegation will arrive in Suriname on July 14. Greaves was annoyed that he had been given virtually one day’s notice of the visit which he was expected to “coordinate.” He had no information concerning the purpose and details of the visit. Nothing has appeared in the news media about the visit. On July 14, Suriname Airways Managing Director Atta Mungra (PROTECT) told EMBOFF that Cubana Airlines had presently sent a representative to Paramaribo to make a survey in connection with the possible establishment of a Cubana service to Suriname and a Cubana Airlines office. As in the case of the cultural delegation, no news of the visit or prospect of a Cubana service has appeared in the press. Comment: A similar approach by Cubana was turned down last year due, at least in part, to Mungra’s objections which were based chiefly on commercial grounds. End comment.

La Roche

CONFIDENTIAL
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UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2012-32744 Doc No. C06033931 Date: 02/22/2017

Source:

C06033931

Link:

Internal Link:

https://surinamepress.com/wp-content/uploads/1982/07/Recent-Events-in-Suriname-July-1982-C06033931.pdf

Date:
July 14, 1982
Categories:
Tags:
Boxes:
F-2012-32744
Years:
1982
Persons:
Desi Bouterse, Greaves, La Roche, Mungra, Neijhorst, Rambocus, Rusland, Sankatsing, Sylvester
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