The issue of independence
Every now and then the issue of independence for St. Maarten pops up. The venue on a number of occasions has been the floor of the Parliament of St. Maarten. Members of Parliament such as Franklin Meyers once famously said that he would rather die a free man in an independent St. Maarten than on his knees under the rule of the Dutch colonial powers.
Whenever the issue of adhering to rules and regulations enforced by the Dutch Kingdom government on the government of St. Maarten – the Integrity Chamber comes to mind – politicians are quick to say that St. Maarten should become independent. Politicians on the other side of the ocean are also eager to point out that independence is just a matter of a phone call. If push comes to shove the island can even be put up for auction sale on eBay.
But we have always believed that for Dutch St. Maarten to truly consider independence, the island must first be united as one country. Both French and Dutch side must first work together like one island, one nation. When the island’s governments from the north and south can work together, only then can they take a united stand and say to the big brothers over the ocean in Paris and The Hague that they want their independence.
The island is too small to operate with two nations, two capitals, two governments and two of everything else. Problems are going to come that can only be adequately solved by closing the borders for instance. The frontiers will have to have border controls and checkpoints. The island with so many ways to cross the border illegally and so many beaches and landing points to enter the island by sea, there is no way the immigration and border patrol units will be able to sufficiently combat the illegal transportation of capital, labor and illicit goods between both sides of the island.
With bureaucracy presently being what it is in terms of getting anything done on the French side of the island and where getting permission from Paris is concerned, the challenge of even starting a proper debate on the French side about cooperating fully with the Dutch side and executing joint operations, especially in the areas of justice is a huge undertaking.
Nonetheless, for the island’s political leaders and activists to even talk about independence, they must first talk about unification. Unification of both French and Dutch side. An open border was always just the beginning and the Treaty of Concordia was always just the laying of the groundwork for the ultimate end: a unified St. Maarten island.
May St. Maarten’s Day on November 11th, 2016, be a day that we can seriously start to think and talk about unification before we even start to think and talk about independence.
