Dear Editor,
We took note from the press that the Fixed Committee on Kingdom Relations of the Dutch House of Representatives will visit Bonaire on Thursday, 22 October 2026. However, the program, including planned activities and meetings with local officials and organizations, remains confidential. The committee has cited security risks, and the press reported that it did not receive an invitation.
This decision raises legitimate questions about transparency, democratic accountability and public participation. Which issues will the visiting Members of Parliament discuss? Whose voices will they hear? Will residents and journalists have an opportunity to ask questions? Decisions taken in The Hague directly affect Bonaire’s governance, public services and political future. The public deserves clarity about the purpose and outcomes of this visit.
According to the media, PVV Member of Parliament Vlottes, who recently submitted a motion calling for Bonaire to be placed under tutelage, will not participate in the visit. The reason for his absence has not been made public. What would tutelage mean for Bonaire’s elected representatives, democratic accountability, and the protection of the people’s fundamental, inalienable rights?
Sint Eustatius's experience in 2018 provides a serious warning. The Dutch government intervened, dissolved the elected island council, and removed the island’s commissioners under a law made in The Hague. State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops executed the intervention. The Dutch government removed elected representatives and replaced them with a centrally appointed commissioner, and restoring elected local government took several years. The Netherlands Court of Audit examined and reported on the intervention in 2023 as a deeply worrying precedent.
“Your silence will not protect you” (by Audre Lorde’s) is particularly relevant today because silence does not protect democracy.
Where were Bonaire’s political leaders when the elected government of Sint Eustatius was removed? Who publicly defended the democratic rights of the Statian people and their representatives against the intervention imposed by The Hague?
Democratic rights must never be defended selectively according to political affiliation or personal interests. Silence when another sister island’s rights are threatened can weaken the very principles needed to protect one’s own people.
Bonaire’s political leaders must recognize that political cooperation or silence offers no guarantee against future intervention. The question is whether it is consistent with applicable international legal and human rights obligations.
As a founding UN member, the Netherlands must uphold the UN Charter and applicable international obligations. Article 1(2) affirms equal rights and self-determination, while the Universal Declaration of Human Rights upholds dignity, equality and democratic participation. Article 1 of both Covenants recognizes peoples’ right to determine their political future.
These principles must be taken seriously when decisions affect Bonaire’s political representation and future. The exercise of state power must remain subject to legal scrutiny, accountability and respect for fundamental rights.
Decisions about Bonaire’s political future must place the fundamental rights and aspirations of its people at the center. Local politicians must likewise put the population's common interests above personal and partisan agendas, consistently defending democratic rights, even when another sister island is affected.
The people must not become passive observers while political authorities determine their future behind closed doors. Residents deserve transparency about the parliamentary visit, who is being consulted, what issues are being discussed, and the committee’s conclusions.
Sint Eustatius's experience shows why solidarity matters: Bonaire’s political leaders must defend their people’s democratic rights and stand against interventions that undermine the rights of other sister islands.
Transparency is essential to democratic governance. Its people’s rights, voices, and legitimate aspirations must remain central to every decision concerning their island.
James Finies