US embassy cable - 04PARAMARIBO195

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000195 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR -- MSEIBEL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PBTS, NS, GY 
SUBJECT: SURINAME SHOCKED OVER GUYANA TAKING IT TO UNCLOS TO 
RESOLVE MARITIME BORDER DISPUTE 

REF: GEORGETOWN 195 
 
1.  UPON THEIR MARCH 2 RETURN TO SURINAME AFTER A VISIT TO 
CHINA, SURINAMESE PRESIDENT VENETIAAN AND MINISTER OF 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MARIE LEVENS ANNOUNCED SURINAME'S INTENT TO 
CAREFULLY STUDY THE CASE BROUGHT AGAINST SURINAME BY GUYANA 
BEFORE UN CONVENTION OF THE LAW OF THE SEAS (UNCLOS) 
REGARDING THE ONGOING MARITIME DISPUTE (BUT NOT LAND OR 
RIVER BORDER DISPUTES) BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.  THEY 
VOWED THAT THE GOS WOULD IMMERSE ITSELF IN PREPARATIONS FOR 
THE CASE. 
 
2.  SURINAME, ACCORDING TO LEVENS, WILL MOVE QUICKLY TO 
FORMULATE "A RIGHT COUNTER ATTACK" IN RESPONSE TO GUYANA'S 
INITIATIVE AND WILL PRESENT ITS POSITION TO THE UN SHORTLY. 
LEVENS ADDED THAT, TO ASSIST ITS CASE, SURINAME WILL HIRE 
INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED 
THE GOS OFFERING THEIR SERVICES.  SHE NOTED THAT THE GOS 
WILL UTILIZE A PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED MAJOR SEMINAR ON 
EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONES THAT IS TO BE HELD IN MARCH IN 
SURINAME TO DISCUSS GUYANA'S UNCLOS COMPLAINT WITH 
PARTICIPATING UN EXPERTS.  SHE ADDED THAT SURINAMESE 
AMBASSADORS AND OTHER EXPERTS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE 
BORDER DISPUTE WILL BE CALLED BACK TO SURINAME SHORTLY FOR A 
WORKING MEETING TO DISCUSS GOS STRATEGY/TACTICS. 
 
3.  ACCORDING TO THE PRESS, VENENTIAAN DENIED THAT GUYANESE 
PRESIDENT JAGDEO HAD TRIED TO CONTACT HIM BEFORE GUYANA TOOK 
THE STEP OF BRINGING THIS ASPECT OF THE BORDER DISPUTE TO 
THE UN.  LEVENS TOLD THE PRESS THAT SHE WAS SURPRISED AND 
    DISAPPOINTED THAT GUYANA HAD CHOSEN TO ACTIVATE THE UNCLOS 
DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISM, PARTICULARLY AS GUYANA AND 
SURINAME HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THEIR JOINT BORDER 
COMMISSIONS IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.  LEVENS SAID THAT 
SURINAME HAD ACTED IN GOOD FAITH BASED ON ITS HOPE THAT A 
BILATERAL SOLUTION WOULD BE REACHED FOR THE ENTIRE BORDER 
DISPUTE.  SHE ADDED THAT, CONTRARY TO GUYANESE PRESIDENT 
BHARRAT JAGDEO'S CLAIM THAT SURINAME HAS OBSTRUCTED EFFORTS 
TO RESOLVE THE BORDER DISPUTE, SURINAME HAS ALWAYS BEEN OPEN 
TO DIALOGUE. 
 
4.  IN LIGHT OF GUYANA'S CASE BEFORE UNCLOS, LEVENS DECLARED 
CATEGORICALLY THAT GUYANA SHOULD VACATE THE DISPUTED 
TIGRI/NEW RIVER TRIANGLE AREA AND THAT THIS MOVE MUST BE 
TAKEN BEFORE DISCUSSIONS CAN CONTINUE ON THE UNCLOS MATTER. 
SHE POINTED OUT THAT GUYANA HAD AGREED TO REMOVE ITS TROOPS 
FROM THE DISPUTED LAND AREA IN THE 1973 TREATY OF 
CHAGUARAMAS. 
 
5.  COMMENT.  SURINAME SEEMED GENUINELY SHOCKED THAT GUYANA 
HAS GONE TO UNCLOS TO SEEK A RESOLUTION OF THE ONGOING 
MARITIME BORDER DISPUTE.  SURINAME HAS ALWAYS SOUGHT TO 
BUNDLE RESOLUTION OF THE THREE PARTS OF ITS BORDER DISPUTE 
WITH GUYANA (MARITIME, RIVERINE, LAND) TO LEVERAGE CLOSURE. 
IT CONSIDERS THE REAL BLOCKS TO PROGRESS (A) THE GUYANESE 
REFUSAL TO RESOLVE ALL THREE ASPECTS OF THE DISPUTE AT THE 
SAME TIME AND (B) THE GUYANESE MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE 
DISPUTED LAND BORDER REGION.  ONCE GUYANA RESOLVES THE 
MARITIME DISPUTE VIA THE UNCLOS PROCEDURE AND FOCUSES ON THE 
OFF-SHORE OIL FIELDS, SURINAME IS CONVINCED THAT THERE WILL 
BE LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THAT GUYANA WILL HAVE ANY INCENTIVE TO 
    RESOLVE THE REMAINING BORDER ISSUES, INCLUDING THE ULTRA- 
SENSITIVE (FROM SURINAME'S POINT OF VIEW) TIGRI/NEW RIVER 
TRIANGLE DISPUTE.  END COMMENT. 
 
FAUCHER 
 
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