Netherlands: ‘Maintain no contact with Brunswijk except in case of functional necessity’

“The Dutch government will not maintain contact with Vice President Brunswijk, unless there is a functional necessity for this.” The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok, also on behalf of the Minister of Trade and Development Cooperation, wrote this in a letter to the Lower House on Friday 2 October.

The letter from the minister who can be downloaded here, is about current developments in Suriname and the efforts of the Cabinet. This as a result of the recent elections in Suriname and the consultation with the Chamber on Suriname requested in June.

According to Minister Blok, the position of Vp Brunswijk is a point of attention in the relationship with the new government. In 1999, Ronnie Brunswijk was sentenced in absentia by the court of Haarlem to eight years in prison for cocaine trafficking.

The letter also states that former president Bouterse, who in his capacity as president enjoyed diplomatic immunity, has yet to serve a sentence in the Netherlands. In 2000 he was sentenced in absentia by the Court of Appeal in The Hague to 11 years in prison for trafficking in cocaine.

Suriname does not issue nationals is also stated in the letter.

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