Armed Forces NCOs Stage Parliament Sit-In Over Working Conditions

Union demands for professional recognition and family-friendly deployment trigger first open conflict with military…

Date: January 1979

The First NCO Protest: A Sit-Down at Parliament

Details:

  • A full year before the 1980 coup, the simmering discontent within the Surinamese Armed Forces (SKM) erupted in its first major public protest.
  • Non-commissioned officers (NCOs), organized in their union (which would become the BMK), held a protest march and a sit-down action in front of the Parliament building.
  • Their demands were professional, not political, including: recognition of their union, better deployment schedules that were less disruptive to family life, and a more responsible defense policy from the government.
  • In response, a group of young, Dutch-trained officers tried to address the issues internally but were forbidden from doing so by the army high command.

Significance:

  • The Start of Open Conflict: This event marks the beginning of the open, organized conflict between the NCOs and the Arron government/army leadership.
  • A Path to Resolution Blocked: It demonstrates that the NCOs' initial grievances were professional and that early attempts by moderate officers to find an internal solution were blocked by the high command. This intransigence from the leadership set the stage for a more radical escalation a year later.

Source:

Rapport Surinaamse Leger (1980-1983).

Link:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/njjfdb0hhjajqoacwl3fz/Rapport-Surinaamse-Leger-1980-1983.pdf?rlkey=y80czr0ygfus9vvn19p8xbzur&st=r42dsgma&dl=0

Internal Link:

Date:
January 1, 1979
Categories:
Foiled Coups & Plots, Log, Matthew Smith, Nuclear Warfare
Tags:
Coup Detat Prelude, Labor Unrest, Nco Protest 1979
Boxes:
MW Zotero
Years:
1979
Persons:
META DATA
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