Suriname PM announces foiled countercoup; city quiet
F-1988-00163
1. Minister-President Chin A Sen appeared briefly on TV last night (May 5) to say that, as promised when he took office, he wished to keep the people of Suriname informed of important matters. “Thanks to watchfulness and heroism of the National Military Council (NMC), attempted countercoup late last week was discovered and foiled.” PM gave no details except to say:
- (A) One person killed — not identified
- (B) A cache of weapons and arms had been discovered and seized
- (C) “A number of people, including some parliamentarians,” had been brought in for questioning
- (D) Details discovered revealed that “persons outside the country” had planned the coup
He did not make the expected announcement of martial law, though heightened security measures now in effect appear to amount to the same thing. In any event, city and country seem quiet and appear likely to remain so.
2. Chin A Sen closed his speech by noting that ministries of Justice, Defense, and Police, “in close cooperation with NMC,” would continue to investigate and rigorously pursue all subversive and counterrevolutionary forces. He again lauded the heroic efforts of NMC, thanks to which “the state is no longer in danger and your peace and freedom are guaranteed.”
3. Chin A Sen’s speech was followed by two brief announcements ordering all those already called up for military service to report immediately on pain of six months imprisonment, and announced a new draft call for all males born in 1961.
Comment: In practice, only about 10–15 percent of those called earlier actually were drafted. Hence new calls, which cover those who received notices back through 1977, presage a large increase in the size of the army, which at present seems poorly prepared.
4. Last night and this morning, troops in battle dress and helmets have been observed throughout town, though this appears more for show than defense since no defensive positions or other real security measures have been observed.
5. In addition to Dow Jones report summarized in Ref B, we understand AFP wire also carried a lengthy report on “Suriname countercoup” last night.
Dutch Overseas Service from the Netherlands yesterday afternoon also carried a long report stating that May 1 and 2 an advance group of some 30-50 men had crossed Marowijne (Maroni) River from French Guiana attempted to capture Albina. I
f attempt successful, remainder of force — some 300 men, Belgian mercenaries, Dutch, expatriate Surinamers, Venezuelans, and South Moluccans — would have crossed the river and marched on Paramaribo, while planes from Venezuela would have bombed military barracks in Paramaribo.
According to this Dutch radio report, the countercoup had been planned by a former Dutch army NCO and financed by former GOS Minister of Agriculture Kasantaraoeno (who fled the country on Feb 25), who had put up 300,000 guilders.
Report said countercoup planners had comrades inside Memre Boekoe Kazerne here, but some of these informed NMC of the plot. Morning papers carried little more than Chin A Sen’s speech plus reprint from Dutch newspaper NRC/Handelsblad of above information.
Coup leader was identified as Frits Ormskerk, “Adjutant Under Officer” (i.e., Warrant Officer). From other sources we learn that Ormskerk, 56, was a former Dutch paratrooper who left the Dutch army at end of World War II, went to Indonesia, then later joined Dutch forces in Suriname.
At independence here in 1975, he reportedly retired and returned to the Netherlands.
6. One other note: the Venezuelan ambassador to Suriname left on vacation late last month, saying that “there will be a countercoup here within a month” and that he did not want to be here for the event. Whether this indicates some foreknowledge, or simply a certain amount of Latin excitability, we are unable to tell.
7. We will continue to report significant developments, but for present see little likelihood of any serious disruption of business as usual here.
8. For the Department: because of press controls here, we are unlikely to hear of reports such as those carried by AFP or DJ. Would appreciate anything the Department might do to feed us essentials of such reporting, though we realize world press probably carries very little on Suriname normally. Greatly appreciate S/S-O’s efforts to keep on top of situation throughout yesterday evening.
OSTRANDER
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META DATA
Department of State
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
ACTION ARA-15
PARAMA 00815 061516Z
AN: D800224-1107
INFO: OCT-01 EUR-12 ADS-00 CIAE-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 SSO-00 ICAE-00 INRE-00 HA-05 MCE-00 SY-05 SYE-00 DCT-02 ANAE-00 A-02 ACDA-12 AID-07 CA-01 CCO-00 OC-06 OES-09 OMB-01 OPR-02 SR-04 USSS-00 FBOE-00 TRSE-00 PM-05 H-01 INR-10 L-01 PA-01 SP-02 SS-15
R 061320Z MAY 80
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO: AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE IMMEDIATE, AMEMBASSY PANAMA IMMEDIATE, USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PN IMMEDIATE, AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY, AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY, DEPARTMENT OF STATE A/CDC/DAR, AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN PRIORITY, AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY, AMCONSUL CURACAO PRIORITY, DECLASSIFY DIA WASHDC PRIORITY, AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS, AMEMBASSY KINGSTON, AMEMBASSY LONDON, AMEMBASSY OTTAWA, AMEMBASSY PARIS, AMCONSUL MARTINIQUE
PANAMA FOR SALE
DATE: OCT 17 1980
Authority: ( ) CLASSIFY AS
E.O. 12065: GDS 05/06/86 (OSTRANDER, NANCY) OR-M
TAGS: PINS, PORS, PINT, PGOV, MILI, AEMR, NS
SUBJECT: SURINAME PM ANNOUNCES FOILED COUNTERCOUP; CITY QUIET
REF: (A) PARAMARIBO 0810, (B) STATE 118996 (NOTAL)