PHILIPSBURG—A petition sent to the United Nations requesting two of its bodies to investigate “systemic discrimination, and racism perpetrated against the people of St. Maarten” according to UP leader Grisha Heyliger-Marten has been met with ‘loud rhetoric and threats’ from three opposition members of Parliament and Dutch Parliamentarians, respectively.

“The sudden outbursts of threats and rhetoric by some politicians suggest that we should just shut up and accept anything, including abuse, for money. Money which can’t reach the people yet since 2017”, according to Heyliger Marten.

Motion

The petition stems from a motion presented by MP Heyliger-Marten (United People’s Party) and subsequently passed by Parliament on November 5^th, 2020 with 11 votes in favor and 3 against. In the fifth resolution of that motion, Parliament resolves to retain legal counsel to assist the Parliament and Government of Sint Maarten with ending the violations of Sint Maarten’s UN-mandated right to a full measure of self-government and completing the decolonization of Sint Maarten and the other islands of the former Netherlands Antilles.

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