National Military Council (Suriname)
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| Formation | 1980 Surinamese coup d'état |
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| Dissolved | 1987 Surinamese general election |
Official language | Dutch |
Chairman | Dési Bouterse |
| History ofSuriname |
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 Suriname portal |
TheNational Military Council(Dutch:Nationale Militaire Raad,NMR) was the rulingmilitary juntaofSurinamebetween the 1980Sergeants' Coupand the1987 general election.
History[edit]
Formed immediately following the Sergeants' Coup,[1]the NMR initially consisted of the following eightmilitary officers:
- Dési Bouterse(sergeant major)
- Roy Horb(sergeant)
- Ramon Abrahams(sergeant)
- Stanley Joemman(sergeant)
- Chas Mijnals(sergeant)
- Laurens Neede(sergeant)
- Michel van Rey(first lieutenant)
- Badrissein Sital(sergeant major)
Sital became chairman of the NMR, although Bouterse (the new commander of theSuriname National Army) soon emerged as thestrongman.Of these eight, only Horb and Bouterse had actually participated in the coup as members of the "Group of Sixteen" (Dutch:Groep van Zestien). Abrahams, Neede and Sital had been arrested for forming a military union and were at that time imprisoned in theMemre Boekoe barracks.Politicians from mainlyleft-wing(splinter) parties acted as advisers:Eddy Bruma,Frank Leeflang,Fred Derby(PNR),Rubin Lie Pauw Sam(VP),Iwan Krolis(PALU) andHenk Herrenberg(SPS).
The NMR appointedHenk Chin A Senas the newprime ministeron March 15, 1980,[2]withAndré Haakmatappointed as thedeputy prime ministeron August 15, 1980.[3]Negotiations were held with the thenpresidentJohan Ferrier,resulting in the preservation of the democratic legal order and the existingconstitution;Ferrier then stayed on as president, before he was eventually ousted on August 15, 1980.[4]
The NMR's course was moderate at first, although several wings developed. On September 15, 1980, the 'left wing' consisting of Mijnals (member of theRVP), Sital and Joemman were arrested and sentenced to several years in prison on conspiracy charges. Hereafter, Bouterse also turned to the left, with the result that the three were released after a few months. Sital was appointed Minister of Health, while Mijnals and Joemman were given important posts in the army. Bouterse's change of course was partly prompted by the increasing influence of Haakmat, who was therefore relieved of his post on January 7, 1981.[5]
The NMR'ssocialistcourse, strengthening its links withCuba,Grenada(under thePRG) andNicaragua(under theFSLN), was one of the reasons for massive protests and strikes during 1982, which would eventually lead to theDecember murders.Grenada's prime ministerMaurice Bishopis said to have played an important role in this, according to several sources, by inciting Bouterse to take firm action.
After the December murders, the NMR continued untilgeneral electionwas held on November 25, 1987. Incidentally, after the execution of Bishop and theUnited States invasion of Grenadain October 1983, Bouterse had abandoned his left course and expelled all Cuban advisers from the country.[6]After the 1987 general election, Bouterse remained army leader until 1988.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Caribbean Review (1980)."The Year of the Sergeants".University of Florida.Retrieved22 June2020.
- ^"Chin A Sen onder druk afgetreden".Reformatorisch Dagblad via Digibron(in Dutch). 5 February 1982.Retrieved23 June2020.
- ^"Haakmat op zware post in Suriname".Nieuwe Leidsche Courant(in Dutch). 16 August 1980. p. 7.
- ^"Suriname President Ousted in Army-Backed Coup; U.S. Says Capital Is Calm".The New York Times.15 August 1980.Retrieved14 December2020.
- ^"Haakmat schaakmat".Leidse Courant(in Dutch). 7 January 1981. p. 1.
- ^"Suriname Ousts Envoy And Halts Cuba Pacts".The New York Times.27 October 1983.Retrieved14 December2020.
External links[edit]
- The Year of the Sergeantsby Caribbean Review (1980)
