PHILIPSBURG:--- France and the Netherlands must not be allowed to hide “behind farcical colonial structures like ‘country within the Kingdom,’ ‘Caribbean municipalities,’ ‘overseas territories,’ or ‘collectivities’ under the guise of ‘good governance,’ in the Caribbean,” said St. Martin author, educator, Dr. Rhoda Arrindell.
Dr. Arrindell was an invited presenter at the Baku Initiative Group conference on the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. On October 21, 2024, Arrindell spoke on the continuing consequences of colonialism.
“More specifically, I addressed the related situation on St. Martin, a 37-square-mile Caribbean island, divided by France (Saint Martin) and the Netherlands (Sint Maarten),” said Arrindell as a representative of One SXM Association.
“The division of our island has impeded the right to self-determination of our people, who are culturally one nation,” said Arrindell, a lecturer at Howard University.
“Moreover, the control of 37 square miles by two European states incumbers our people’s ability to effectively manage our affairs based on our interests and chart our fate,” said Arrindell, who is also the author of Language, Culture and Identity in St. Martin.
