US embassy cable - 05PARAMARIBO680

UNCLAS  PARAMARIBO 000680 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - LLUFTIG 
CARACAS FOR LEGATT 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, SOCI, ECON, NS 
SUBJECT: BOUTERSE CALLS FOR MASS PROTESTS TO BRING DOWN 
VENETIAAN GOVERNMENT 
 
REF: A) PARAMARIBO 607 B) PARAMARIBO 589 B) PARAMARIBO 234 
 
1. (U) Summary. Former military dictator and convicted 
narcotics trafficker Desi Bouterse is calling for a mass 
protest on October 21 to begin a campaign to drive recently 
reelected President Ronald Venetiaan's government out of 
power.  The date of the planned demonstrations coincides 
with an official visit to Suriname by Dutch Foreign 
Minister Bernard Bot.  Bouterse's rallying cry also comes 
on the heels of the Attorney General's announcement that 
his trial for the December 1982 murders of 15 prominent 
Surinamers opposed to his military rule may begin shortly. 
With the protest, Bouterse appears to be tapping into 
public discontent with the government's bumpy start to 
further his own personal agenda. End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Bouterse first appealed for demonstrations at his 
60th birthday party on October 13 at his NDP party 
headquarters.  (Note: Bouterse is the NDP's chairman and a 
member of the National Assembly (DNA). End Note.) Speaking 
to a large group of supporters, he strongly criticized the 
Venetiaan government for increasing gasoline prices which 
he said disproportionably affected the poor and for recent 
corruption scandals. (See refs A and B).  He specifically 
referred to the strain on Suriname's interior residents 
whose transportation costs to Paramaribo have increased two 
to threefold over the last month.  He said it was time to 
send the government home, harking back to rhetoric used 
during the mass protests of 1999, which forced then 
President Jules Wijdenbosch to call for early elections. 
(COMMENT: The 1999 protests were successful in part because 
strong leadership by labor unions and the business 
community brought tens of thousands to the streets. 
Bouterse's current call for protests does not enjoy support 
from these groups. End Comment.) 
 
3. (U) During his rant, Bouterse also made defiant, 
inflammatory statements in reaction to Attorney General 
Subhaas Punwasi's announcement on October 10 that the 
presiding military court in the December 1982 murders case 
would rule on pre-trial defense objections by the end of 
the month. (See Ref C).  He said this meant the trial of 
Bouterse and 24 other suspects could begin as soon as 
December.  Unhappy with this news, Bouterse warned Punwasi, 
the Minister of Justice and Police Chandrikapersad 
Santokhi, and members of the governing coalition that he 
would not go to prison without a fight.  He promised a war 
if judicial authorities did not leave him alone and 
suggested that the government make use of other 
internationally acclaimed measures, such as a truth 
tribunal, to bring closure to the December murders instead 
of a court case. 
 
4. (U) Since Bouterse's statements, the government has 
shown no sign of backing down.  In a press release, the 
Ministry of Justice and Police stated that the rule of law 
will prevail and Bouterse will be prosecuted for the 
murders.  The Ministry is currently establishing a security 
commission to safeguard members and property of the 
judiciary during the trial.  Two New Front National 
Assembly (DNA) members suggested that Bouterse be 
prosecuted for inciting social unrest. 
 
5. (SBU) Most political observers expect a significant but 
not overwhelming turnout on Friday, October 21.  The NDP is 
the largest single party in Parliament with 15 seats and 
arguably the best organized party in Suriname.  It has 
shown an ability to mobilize its members when needed. 
Leaders of the two other opposition parties in the DNA, the 
VVV and A1 combination, also said they would encourage 
their supporters to participate in the demonstrations.  A1 
DNA member Jiwan Sital carefully pointed out, however, that 
his coalition's protest is unrelated to the December 
murders case, but is in reaction to failing government 
policy.  The demonstrations will also likely attract those 
unaligned with opposition parties who are simply angry with 
the rise in gasoline prices.  According to an Embassy 
source, some NDP members will not participate because they 
feel Bouterse is using the party for personal gain. 
Dagblatt Suriname, a morning paper critical of the 
government with the second largest circulation in the 
country, expressed concern that Bouterse was bent on 
creating instability in society in an attempt to cow the 
government and noted the poor whom Bouterse claimed to 
represent would suffer as pawns in his games. 
 
 
6. (SBU) This being Suriname, there are conflicting reports 
as to whether or not a permit is required for a peaceful 
demonstration.  The NDP secretary is quoted in the press as 
saying his party has applied for a permit, but the 
responsible official claims no request has been received. 
Police sources tell us they will not seek to block the 
demonstration, permit or no permit.  The last attempted 
political protest took place on October 3, when a 
previously unknown group named Kwaku drew 75 protesters to 
demonstrate during the president's annual budget address. 
While the number of Kwaku protesters seems small, it is 
significant that an entirely new and unknown group 
advertising through anonymous leaflets posted around town 
attracted a group of any size. 
 
7. (SBU) Coinciding with the demonstration will be a visit 
to Suriname by Dutch Foreign Minister Bot.  According to 
the Dutch Embassy, he plans to discuss the future of 
bilateral relations between the two countries in 
preparation for an expected visit by Dutch Prime Minister 
Jan Balkanende for Suriname's 30th anniversary of 
independence on November 25.  The Dutch Foreign Ministry is 
eager to avoid unwelcome photo ops of Dutch-bashing that 
they fear may develop during the protests, and will keep 
press events within the confines of a hotel. 
 
--------- 
Comment 
--------- 
 
8. (SBU) The NDP decision to fall in behind Bouterse's call 
for street protests underscores his absolute control of the 
party, his disdain for democratic procedure, and his lack 
of concern for Suriname or Surinamers.  Rather than use the 
National Assembly as a bully pulpit for charting an 
alternate course, he is opting to go to the streets to stir 
up the population without offering any concrete alternate 
proposal for dealing with crippling oil prices, or 
encouraging much needed job creation.  Through protests, 
Bouterse aims to intimidate a government already cognizant 
of the dangers of prosecuting him.  By timing the protests 
with Foreign Minister Bot's visit, he can use the Dutch 
journalists in tow to make a media splash in the 
Netherlands, where his lawyers may try to use the publicity 
in their ongoing attempts to overturn his 1999 drug 
trafficking conviction. 
 
9. (SBU) Size estimates of the protest range from 1,000 to 
10,000 people and while it is being advertised as a 
peaceful demonstration, the potential for violence exists. 
The Embassy is monitoring the situation and will coordinate 
with the Department on possible warden message. 
 
BARNES 
 
 
NNNN