BONAIRE — We took note via 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 programme, including planned activities and meetings with local officials and organisations, remains confidential. The committee has cited security risks, and the press reported not receiving 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 that 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?
The experience of Sint Eustatius 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. Statia elected representatives were removed and replaced by a centrally appointed government commissioner, and the restoration of elected local government took several years. The Netherlands Court of Audit examined and reported the intervention in 2023 as very worrisome 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 recognise 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 has a responsibility to 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 recognises 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.
The fundamental rights and aspirations of Bonaire’s people must be placed at the center of decisions concerning their political future. Local politicians must likewise place the common interests of the population above personal and partisan agendas, defending democratic rights consistently, including 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, the people being consulted, the issues being discussed and the committee’s conclusions.
The experience of Sint Eustatius demonstrates why solidarity matters: Bonaire’s political leaders must defend their people’s democratic rights and stand against interventions undermining the rights of other sister islands.
Transparency is an essential element of democratic governance. Its people’s rights, voices and legitimate aspirations must remain central to every decision concerning their island.
