Country Year Topic , Translator

Sylvana Simons (BIJ1) about the Dutch Research Project




On February 24, 2022, during a parliamentary debate in the Dutch Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives) Sylvana Simons (party leader BIJ1) referred to the open letter from Jeffry Pondaag (K.U.K.B.) and Francisca Pattipilohy. Simons is the first black woman in Europe to lead a national political party. In her speech she highlighted some of the most important questions regarding the outline and focus of the government-sponsored study, such as the use of the term ‘extreme violence’ and the exclusion of 350 years of illegal occupation. It is the first time a Dutch Member of Parliament voices the criticism of the open letter so clearly and vocally. Simons also referred to ongoing colonial attitudes, unequal power relations, which she sees reflected in how the Netherlands is treating the islands in the Carribean such as Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten etc.