The Guyana Standard in an article published on August 27, 2021, and entitled “Granger warns Guyanese against expecting too much from Suriname,” quoted the former President as saying that “Guyana’s policy towards Suriname should not be based on wishful thinking”. The former President warned then against ‘exaggerated’ expectations over recent engagements between Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the article stated.
Granger in a comprehensive analysis of the Guyana/ Suriname foreign policy over the past 50 years, said that it is easy to underestimate the complex character of over five decades of interactions between the two neighbours. Referring to the exchange of official visits by the Presidents of Guyana and Suriname in November 2020 and August 2021, respectively, he said that friendly visits were necessary but not sufficient to transform inter-state relations.
He noted that the two new Presidents brought vastly different experiences to their offices. Santokhi, 62 years old, is a trained Police Officer who, as Commissioner of Police and Minister of Justice, interacted with Guyana’s Clement Rohee as Minister of Home Affairs. Santokhi, nicknamed ‘Sheriff’ by President Dési Bouterse, for his efforts to suppress narco-trafficking and the contraband trade across the Corentyne River which contrasted with the PPP administration’s tolerance for ‘back-tracking’, Granger said.
Surinamese officials and politicians still lament the Guyana Defence Force’s military operation to defend the New River Zone against the Surinamese occupation of ‘Camp Tigri’ on Guyana’s territory in August 1969. Additionally, Granger said that the PPP administration’s experiences with the expulsion of the CGX petroleum platform from Guyana’s waters in June 2000 and the occasional seizure and harassment of fishing boats over the years still hold “sober lessons” for diplomats.
He warned the Ali administration that a professional foreign service was needed to deal with a neighbour like Suriname and Guyana’s policy should not be based on “wishful thinking”. “Hope,” he said, “is not a strategy.”
On Thursday, the Kaieteur News reported that the Surinamese Government refused to license some 150 fishing vessels presently fishing in the waters bordering Guyana and Suriname.
The newspaper article quoted the Chairman of the Upper Corentyne Fisherman Co-op Society, Parmeshwar Jainarine as saying that the Berbice fishermen are disappointed and worried about not receiving the licences, which were supposed to be available since January 1 of this year. He explained that the authorisations were supposed to help fishermen conduct their business in Suriname without the harassment, that they have been facing from fishermen and maritime patrols in that country. Now, he stated, there is even more concern regarding the sector’s survival.
The Chairman explained to the newspaper that by being so close to Suriname, Guyanese fishermen often find themselves in Dutch waters working. He said that this is something that has been happening for decades and Guyanese at one point were even provided with licences from the Surinamese authorities to work there. Over time, he said, the licences were taken away from Guyanese and given to Surinamese. This leads to some Surinamese renting their licences to Guyanese for profit. Where Guyanese once rented the licences for US$1000 and US$1500, they are now being asked to pay US$3000 and US$4000. Jainarine said this led to local fishermen asking the government to intervene in the matter.
“It was too much pressure pon we,” Jainarine told the newspaper. He said that with all the other expenses fishermen face, they could not afford to pay the exorbitant prices the Dutchmen were seeking. He noted, however, that in seeking government intervention, the Surinamese seemed not to have favoured the move since they have upped the pressure. He explained that Guyanese fishermen are now being asked to leave their fishing boats in Suriname where it is licensed. Guyanese are being told to take smaller boats to head over to Guyana and return in the vessels when ready to access their boats for work.
Jainarine said this demand cannot work for many reasons, but most obviously, for security reasons. He said that here in Guyana, security is paid to overlook boats at the fishermen’s landing and even then, they are tampered with and sometimes damaged. He opined therefore that it would be unwise to leave the boats unattended in the foreign port.
The Chairman said that based on favourable reports that promoted a good relationship between Guyana and Suriname’s heads of state, they thought it a good idea to “beg the government to intervene” because of the financial pressure the Surinamese licensed holders placed on them. Now, that move seems to have backfired, Jainarine concluded.
“Cause we can’t understand how two governments sign a document that say yes we going to issue these licences and now you hearing one party reluctant and the other one saying they cannot influence decisions.” “Some 1000 families, could go hungry if this matter isn’t resolved quickly,” Jainarine told the newspaper.
More, In The Ring.
