November 25, 2010. People of various cultural backgrounds gathered at Independence Square in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the country's independence from Dutch colonial rule. The newly elected President Desi Bouterse vowed to further the country's development and prosperity, and in fact the economy was booming. Seven years later, however, people packed Independence Square toThere were protests.We would like to explore what has happened to Suriname in less than a decade, and what lies ahead for the country.

Suriname Basic Information

Located on the northeastern coast of South America, Suriname is the smallest country on the continent, bordered by French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to the south. With a population of approximately 570,000, Suriname ranks sixth in the world in terms of low population density. 90% of the country is covered by the rich Amazon rainforest.The most forested country in the worldand the majority of the population lives in the coastal areas, with about half of them concentrated in Paramaribo, the capital. The country isThe 17th richest country in the world in terms of natural resourcesIt is. A large part of its economy, the amount of tradeApproximately 70% of the totalto bauxite, gold, and oil exports, which account for 15% of Suriname's GDP.

Suriname was initially colonized by the British, but following the exchange of New Amsterdam (now New York) between the British and the Dutch in 1667, it was under Dutch rule for nearly 300 years until independence in 1975. There was a period after independence when the country was replaced by a military dictatorship government for more than a decade. This period of military dictatorship also contributed to the devastation of the countrydisputeoccurred, and the country became democratic again in 1991.

Suriname today is one of the most ethnically diverse in the world.population structureThe Dutch colonial period brought African people forcibly into slavery. After slavery was abolished in 1863, people from England, India, and Java (then part of the Dutch East Indies and now Indonesia) moved in as indentured laborers. As a result, today the majority of the population has its origins in the above countries, with the indigenous population accounting for only 4% of the total.ethnic compositionare, in descending order of number, Indo Surinamese (27.4%), Maroons (*1) (21.7%) and Creoles (*2) (15.7%), both of African origin, and people of Javanese origin (13.7%). In addition, Chinese immigrants (about 1.5% of the population), who have increased since the second half of the 20th century, and, more recently, Brazilian miners (estimated to be about 3.5% of the population active, most of them illegally) are also on the rise.

Its cultural diversity is seen as an important part of its national identity. The presence of synagogues and mosques in the center of the capital city is symbolic. Indeed, the president himself, Desi Bouterse, has Creole, Dutch, French, and Chinese roots, and in his 2015 inaugural address, he said that ethnic background is not divisive, but can be a source of wealth and prosperityStated.The following is a list of the most common problems with the

His ethnic roots and positive words give the impression that he is indeed a leader worthy of a multicultural nation. But what about the reality? The Guardian, for example, calls him "The world's most controversial leaderHe described it as "the most important thing in the world. There is a reason for that.

President Boatase (Photo: Pieter Van Maele/ Wikimedia Commons) [CC BY 3.0].)

Suriname after Independence and Mr. Desi Bouterse

If there is one person who has played the most significant role in Suriname's history, it is unanimously Desi Bouterse. But that is not a context to be proud of.

First, it is closely related to drugs. For example, in the 1999 trial in absentia in the Netherlands,Cocaine smugglingThe 11-year incarceration sentence forsentenceIn 2011, theWikiLeaksin the United States, and it has been exposed that he was involved in the drug trade at least until 2006. In addition, Colombia's armed forces, theFARCand that they were dealing in arms and drugs.testimonyThere is also a The European Criminal Police Organization has issued an international warrant against him, but Suriname has refused to extradite Boortse to the Netherlands.

Second, he is highly responsible for human rights abuses. Boatase is considered one of the key figures because he was the de facto national leader in the conflict that disintegrated Suriname, as well as the head of the military. Thisdisputewas an insurgency that broke out in 1986 when former guards in Boatace formed a guerrilla command by the maroons. The main point of contention was the human rights of the maroons living in the jungles of eastern Suriname, but at the same time, the area was extremely important for cocaine smugglingJungle ManagementThe conflict was also about the During the Surinamese conflict, the Boatase destroyed schools, infrastructural infrastructure, and government buildings, and burned villages of Maroons. They killed hundreds of Maroons.atrocityis also happening.

Surinamese army and Desi Bouterse (Photo: Sanoesoe101 / Wikimedia Commons)

In 1982, the infamous "December Plot Murder" occurred. Current President Boertse was the most important figure in this case as well.Involved.The country is considered to be a "dictatorship". In 1980, shortly after independence, Boatase, then an army sergeant major, led a group of military officers in a coup d'état and established a dictatorship. Two years later, 15 leaders of the pro-democracy movement were tortured and executed.

While Boertse admits political responsibility for the incident, he has not been brought to justice by the law to date. What stands out in particular are the contradictory testimonies and the enactment of amnesty laws.

The first contradictory testimony is that of Boertse, who was not present at the murder site, Fort Girandia, when the trial for the December Conspiracy Murder was opened in 2007, and that of Ruben Rosendahl, who was later one of the accused soldiers.conflicting testimonyThe story is that Boatace gave the order to kill the two men at the Girandia fortress. The story goes that Boatace gave the order to kill the two men at the Girandia fortress, and then shot them with his own hands.

Fortress Zealandia in Paramaribo (Photo: Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed / Wikimedia Commons) [CC BY-SA 4.0].)

Next, we turn to the amnesty law: since its opening in 2007, Boatace had been pleading for amnesty for the offenders. The Surinamese government made amendments to extend the existing amnesty law immediately after Rosendahl's testimony in 2012 and one week before he was sentenced. The law would have authorized pardons for 20 crimes committed at the end of the Surinamese conflict, including the December Conspiracy. This bill was.Passed.. However, since this law was clearly a prohibited interference with an ongoing trial and a violation of the Constitution, there was an outcry in Suriname and abroad. Foreign Governments,United Nations, ,Human Rights Watchand other organizations, as well as the Inter-American Organization for Human Rights, were also very responsive.

To date, Suriname does not have a constitutional court. Therefore, the trial on the December conspiracy case was reopened with the constitutional issue regarding the amnesty law shelved, and in 2017, the court requested a 20-year custodial sentence for Boortse. However, he stated this after refusing to accept the conviction under his authority as president. "Who can sentence me to be sent away when I am president by the will of God?Boatace has escaped incarceration by remaining president. The president is the only person with the power to continue to obstruct court-martial and eliminate democracy in Suriname.

New Boaterse Administration

Given the above, one might wonder how this man was able to win the presidency in the 2010 and 2015 elections. How did he gain the popularity of the people?

President Desi Bouterse participates in the ceremony (Photo: Palácio do Planalto/ Flickr) [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0].)

By the time Desi Bouterse was reelected, there were three regimes in power. However, the Surinamese people were dissatisfied with each of these regimes in terms of international relations, economic conditions, high crime rates, corruption among politicians, and bias in ethnic political dealings. For these people, the charismatic Boatace, who, as mentioned above, had multiethnic roots and delivered incendiary speeches for national unity, was accepted as a hopeful presence.

Besides his ethnic roots and charisma, one of the factors that contributed to Boortse's popularity with the public was his "enemy" setting. He contrasted himself with the former colonial power of the Netherlands and former presidents who promoted policies that gave different degrees of preferential treatment to different ethnic groups. As a result, "één volk, één natie(The motto "One People, One Nation" was widely accepted by the public and gained support mainly from young people.

Suriname in the International Context

In understanding Suriname's current international relations, two points should be noted. First, Suriname's economy has become increasingly dependent on companies from other countries, and second, since 2010, there has been a substantial foreign policy policy shift.

Suriname's economy is largely dependent on its mining resources, which are highly volatile as they are directly affected by the flux of international prices for mineral resources. In 2013, Suriname's economy was hit hard by the effects of falling international prices and mineral prices. The government was forced to deal with the situation in an attempt to overcome it, but the situation did not improve, and by 2016 the country entered a full-blown recession. Clearly, the economy was on the verge of collapse. So how was it financed at the time?

Historically, Suriname has had strong ties to the Netherlands, even after independence. The Netherlands is the official language, trade between the two countries is active, and as many as 350,000 people of Surinamese origin, or 60% of the total Surinamese population, are currently living in the Netherlands, which has been heavily dependent on Dutch foreign aid. However, the election of Boertse as president in 2010 was not well received by Western countries, especially the Netherlands, and relations between the two countries deteriorated. This relationship was spurred by the 2012 amnesty law. Initially, development assistance continued, amounting to a total ofUS$26 million per yearHowever, the Netherlands decided to suspend aid in response to this law.

Suriname, which had lost its aid source, was forced by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) to spend $407.8 million over a 24-month period in the spring of 2016 to get out of recession.stand-by decision(SBA), the government decided to approve the SBA. One of the conditions was the introduction of a value-added tax and customs duties, both of which were unpopular with the public. The public outcry was more frightening than anything else to Boatace, who knew that his ouster from the presidency meant life in prison. So, after receiving the first payment of $81 million, he decided to put the agreement in place.Withdrawn.And in the same year, it received a capital injection from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).Terms and Conditionswas to introduce and promote Islamic banking and lending in exchange for an investment of approximately $178 billion, more than three times the amount promised by the IMF.

Presidential Palace in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname (Photo: teachandlearn/ Flickr) [CC BY-NY-SA 2.0].)

Suriname is also deepening its ties with countries such as the United States, Canada, Russia, and India. Its proximity to China is particularly significant. China has been on the rise in all parts of the world in recent decades, and Suriname is no exception. China has been aggressively and rapidly building up its infrastructure, stores, houses, andto the new headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Various buildings.I'm making it.Suriname was one of the first countries to increase its foreign aid during Suriname's difficulties. Suriname was also one of the first countries to increase foreign aid in times of hardship, providing low-interest loans during the recession, as well as military aid and development of renewable energy.

Domestically, they are grateful for and respectful of the assistance provided by China.People are here.On the other hand, some complain that Suriname is becoming a de facto colony of China. This is because of the influx of low-wage labor and the relatively preferential treatment Chinese immigrants tend to receive in the country.

Suriname's economy continues to deteriorate regardless of Chinese aid and investment; in late 2017, the Central Bank of Surinamebankruptcy proceedingsThe results have prompted warnings by international credit rating agencies. For example, the U.S. rating agencyMoody'sdowngraded Suriname in February, describing its overseas loans to Suriname as "quite risky" andAnnouncement.The following is a list of the most common problems with the

Suriname Outlook

Suriname is currently on the brink of economic collapse. Possibilities for overcoming the economic crisis include ecotourism and expatriates (diaspora).be captured (e.g. data)As for the latter, out of a total of 1 million people of Surinamese origin, 450,000 live outside the country. The majority of them are wealthier than those in Suriname and are more attached to their country and its people. In fact, about $1,200 per month is sent home to Surinamese families.

The government is also under pressure to take action against political corruption, which is a distant cause of the economic crisis. The situation will not improve immediately, given that Boatace will be imprisoned at the end of his term. The president's term of office is five years. We will have to watch developments carefully.

Paramaribo (Photo: Георгий Долгопский / Wikimedia Commons) [CC BY-SA 3.0].)

1 Maroons: Descendants of slaves who fled plantations and came to Suriname's hinterland.

2 Creoles: European colonial inhabitants (mainly Dutch) and people of African slave descent.

Writer: Dennis Boor

Translation: Yuka Ikeda

Graphic: Eiko Asano

Follow @GNV_tweets