THE HAGUE – PvdA senator Jeroen Recourt wants to appoint an independent researcher to analyze the aftermath of colonialism. According to Recourt, this fraught past an implicit and explicit role in contemporary Kingdom relations. The senator suggested this yesterday during the policy debate on relations with the Caribbean countries and municipalities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
According to Recourt, relations between the countries are in need of reform. “Our Kingdom is not determined by similarities, but by differences. The differences between the Netherlands and the Caribbean part, and the differences between the Caribbean parts themselves are large.
They are still too much clinging to each other like loose sand within the structure of the Statute, ”said the Senate. The islands would have become more dependent on the Netherlands because of the great economic, geographic and / or geopolitical vulnerability.
The PvdA faction therefore proposes to sit down with all the Caribbean islands and the Netherlands to explore which tasks, responsibilities and powers are needed to make cooperation future-oriented.
Colonialism
In addition, Recourt argues for research into the most sensitive part of the relationship: “the fact that our Kingdom is built on the racism and oppression that are typical of a colonial system”.
This would play both an implicit and an explicit role to this day. As an explicit example Recourt cites St Martin’s non-subtle accusation that the Netherlands behaves like colonial and racist oppressors.
Implicit barriers would show themselves in the relationships, ideas and self-awareness of the countries. In addition, colonialism would be visible in not taking responsibility for mistakes made, including mistakes made in a much more distant past.
That is why Recourt proposes to investigate which obstacles exist in the cooperation that arise from the colonial past, in the Netherlands and in the three other countries of our Kingdom, each in their own way.
This investigation is best conducted by an independent party. Because an outsider’s perspective can indicate possible blind spots. “You don’t know what you don’t see,” said Recourt.
Eerste Kamerlid Recourt pleit voor onderzoek naar kolonialisme