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Ratification of Franco-Dutch Treaty is an act of disrespect’
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Oct 20, 2006 15:51 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - The ratification of the controversial Franco-Dutch Treaty by the First and Second Chambers of the Dutch Parliament should be considered an act of complete disrespect for and purposeful humiliation of the people of St. Maarten.
Central Committee chairwoman Maria Buncamper-Molanus must call a meeting and formerly apprise the petit committee of the Dutch ratification and clarify why there has been no follow-up to the meetings since June, Island Council Member and People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) leader Gracita Arrindell stated in a press release Thursday.
“She (Buncamper-Molanus) promised that stakeholders in the community would be heard, while names of experts were submitted as requested at the time. What happened? Why weren’t we informed by our representatives in The Hague that ratification was imminent?” she asked.
Arrindell said the PPA regretted firmly the “undeniable fact” that the Island Government had procrastinated on the sensitive matter over the past year. The treaty on the checking of persons at the airport in St. Maarten aims at the two European countries working together to guarantee efficiency in checking the entering of foreigners and the surveillance of their stay in St. Maarten.
Arrindell said some within the Kingdom and the Republic of France regarded the ratification of the treaty as a positive step towards better and closer cooperation between the two sides of the island, which includes the combating of international terrorism on our soil.
“While this may well be the case, we maintain that more effort could have been made by both the French and the Dutch authorities over the years to effectively combat the illegal entry of aliens at our borders, whether through our airports or waterways, by placing more manpower and equipment at these locations.”
In PPA’s view the treaty remains discriminatory towards nationals coming from the Caribbean, while it allows entry based on the existing Admittance and Expulsion Law LTU for members of the European Union and the European Economic zone travelling to St. Maarten.
Arrindell said it remained very painful that the people of St. Maarten had had no more say in this matter through a public hearing. “Was this treaty indeed already a done deal as alluded to in 1996 by the then Sous-Préfet in Saint Martin Mr. Antoine Pichon? Who gave the assurances that the treaty would be signed no matter what?”
She stated furthermore that several Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministers had continued to make their case over the years for ratification by their Parliament under heavy pressure from their French counterparts.
“The latest attempt was made in June 2006 by Foreign Affairs Minister Ben Bot, who assured Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage that once the treaty was signed, negotiations would start with France and the Netherlands Antilles to prevent foreigners from entering through the harbour and our waterways.”
PPA queries whether this could not be achieved without a treaty. “Are we to understand that the same persons who are busy dismantling the Netherlands Antilles are the ones to sit with France and the Netherlands to negotiate the execution of the treaty? Is this a firm commitment by both countries?” Arrindell asked.
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