“The colonized people of Bonaire are doomed to be erased from the face of the Earth. If this continues, no local people will be left in Bonaire in 10 years," President of the Bonaire Human Rights Organization Davika Bissessar told Report.
According to Bissessar, the decisions made in 2010 stripped the people of all their rights.
"Bonaire is an island located in the southern Caribbean Sea, 50 miles from Venezuela. We were established as a self-governing state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Bonaire was incorporated into the Dutch constitution without being granted equal rights. Our people are suffering severely from human rights violations on the island. We have no equal rights with them whatsoever," Bissessar explained.
“Until 2010, Bonaire was part of the Antilles islands (Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba, and Sint Maarten). After that year, the borders were opened, and the Dutch constitution was enforced on Bonaire. According to the Dutch constitution, Bonaire's laws are adopted in The Hague, and the island lacks the autonomy to make decisions,” she stated.
“In 2015, a referendum was held in Bonaire, and the people voted against integration. Now we have no representation in the Dutch parliament or the United Nations. Thus, we have become a colony again after 2010," the human rights activist added.
She also pointed out that the education system was also changed in 2010, and the local language, Papiamento, was abolished:
"They took over all our public facilities, the airport, schools, and all infrastructure. The Netherlands is doing many things to encourage its citizens to come to Bonaire. In 2010, 80% of the island's population was local. Now, this figure is 32%. Our rights are being grossly violated.”
Bissessar expressed gratitude to the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), which supports the just struggle of peoples who wish to be free from the colonial rule of France and the Netherlands.
"The initiative of the BIG is extremely important and significant. Today, using its global power, Azerbaijan has taken a stand by our side, and we think that through the BIG platform, we can make our voice heard by the international community," she concluded.
