Decolonisation or more? FIGURE 1 – ARRIVAL OF THE SURINAMESE DELEGATION AT SCHIPHOL AIRPORT FOR THE ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE IN THE HAGUE ON THE 16TH OF JANUARY 1948. SOURCE: NATIONAAL ARCHIEF, DEN HAAG, FOTOCOLLECTIE ALGEMEEN NEDERLANDS FOTOPERSBUREAU (ANEFO), 2.24.01.08, BESTANDDEELNUMMER 934-6743. A VIEW ON DUTCH POLICY ON SURINAME IN THE PERIOD 1945-1955 Maxime Klein - 5952204 [email protected] Lange Mare 96A 2312 GT Leiden Supervisor: Dr. Frank Gerits 20-12-2017 Word count: 15,112 MA Thesis 15 ECTS International Relations in Historical Perspective Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................. 3 List of Abbreviations .............................................................................................. 4 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 5 Methodology and Sources ................................................................................................................... 7 Historiography ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Chapters ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 1 – Communism and International Context in Dutch colonial Policy .... 12 1.1 Spread and Threat of Communism ............................................................................................ 12 1.2 International Influences on Dutch colonial Policy ..................................................................... 16 1.3 Conclusions: Communism and International Context in Dutch colonial Policy ......................... 19 Chapter 2 – Surinamese Ambition for more Autonomy ...................................... 21 2.1 Threat of Nationalism and Decolonisation ................................................................................ 21 2.2 Representation in Washington and Caracas and the Round Table Conferences ...................... 25 2.3 Threat of Pan-Americanism ....................................................................................................... 27 2.4 Conclusions: Surinamese Ambition for more Autonomy .......................................................... 28 Chapter 3 – Dutch Policy of Development........................................................... 30 3.1 The Role of Race in Dutch colonial Policy .................................................................................. 30 3.2 Modernisation and Truman’s Point IV ....................................................................................... 32 3.3 Conclusions: Dutch Development Policy ................................................................................... 35 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 37 Bibliography ......................................................................................................... 39 Primary Sources ................................................................................................................................. 39 Secondary Sources ............................................................................................................................. 41 Articles .......................................................................................................................................................... 41 Books ............................................................................................................................................................ 42 Other ............................................................................................................................................................ 42 2 Abstract This thesis argues that the role of Cold War politics in Dutch policy on Suriname between 1945 and 1955 was very limited, but was characterised by the Dutch fear of nationalism, decolonisation, and Pan-Americanism in Suriname, as well as modernisation and racism. The Second World War (WW II) changed the international relations profoundly and resulted in the Cold War. Decolonisation was a quickly progressing development at the time and the Soviet-Union and the United States tried to expand their territories in the former colonies. The independence of Indonesia in 1949 has long been seen as a consequence of the American interference based on their Cold War politics. However, on the other side of the world, the Dutch colony Suriname only reached their independence 25 years later. This is concluded based on the consulted Dutch governmental sources from the National Archive of the Netherlands. Traditionally, the wish for autonomy in Suriname after WW II was defined as very small. Reform of the current relationship was seen by the Dutch government as sufficient to satisfy the Surinamese population. Based on this study, it can be concluded that the Dutch government was aware of the growing wish for independence and tried to maintain their control in the territory. The most important indication of this was the Dutch treatment of the Surinamese wish for representation in Washington and Caracas. The Dutch lack of cooperation and the deferral that is indicated in the treatment of the Surinamese wish demonstrates the Dutch fear of Surinamese nationalism and decolonisation. Racism and modernisation were also prominent factors in the Dutch policy on Suriname. The Dutch belief of their superiority and Surinamese inferiority was very obvious in the Surinamese struggle for representation in Washington and Caracas, as the Surinamese were seen as incapable of such a task because of their intellectual shortcomings. Moreover, the Dutch policy focused on the Westernisation of the Surinamese people and the Dutch believed that Suriname should be developed by financial and technical aid. 3 List of Abbreviations CIA Central Intelligence Agency CPN Communist Party Netherlands (Original Dutch definition: Communistische Partij Nederland) GB Great-Britain ICP Indonesian Communist Party NATO North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation PPP Peoples Progressive Party RTC Round Table Conference SG Secretary-General UN United Nations US United States WW II Second World War 4 Introduction On the seventh of December 1942, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands gave a speech on Radio Orange that is seen as the first official step on the path towards more autonomy for the Dutch colonies. 1 “It is my intention, that after the liberation, the opportunity will be provided to talk about the structure of the Kingdom and its territories in the changing circumstances. The therefore convened conference […] in which prominent representatives from the three Overseas Territories of the Kingdom will gather with the prominent representatives of the Netherlands at a roundtable, was prepared in the then free territories of the Dutch-Indies, Suriname and Curacao.”2 The speech was a consequence of the growth of nationalism in the Dutch colonies, most prominently in Indonesia, as well as of mounting pressure from the United States (US).3 The US believed in self-determination, and modernisation, and aspired equal access to the colonial raw materials market. These factors were instrumental for the US to put pressure on the Dutch government in exile.45 The Queens speech was warmly welcomed in the colonies, where the aspiration for more autonomy had grown during the Second World War (WW II). After the liberation, however, the revolutionary words of the Queen had not been put into practice straight away. The Surinamese people had to wait until 1954 for the new charter with reform measures to enter into force.6 The timing of these decolonisation processes is intriguing as it took place during the Cold War. Shortly after WW II, the world became divided in the Soviet-Union (USSR) with its satellite states and the US with its North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO-) allies. In this new world order, the position of the (newly independent) colonies became of increasing importance for the USSR and the US. The role of the US in the Dutch decolonisation policy on Indonesia is highly debated in historiography. This in contrast to the historiography of the Dutch policy on Suriname, where the role of Cold War politics is only slightly discussed. Therefore, this thesis will focus on the question: how can the Dutch policy on Suriname be defined in the period 1945-1955? The findings of this study are put in a broader Dutch colonial policy context, by comparing them with the Dutch policy on Indonesia. 1 Remco Raben, “Nederland en de (post)koloniale wereld” in: Jacco Pekelder, Remco Raben en Mathieu Segers ed., De wereld volgens Nederland. Nederlandse buitenlandse politiek in historisch perspectief (Amsterdam: Boom, 2015) 152-176, 158. 2 Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid, Hilversum, Koningin Wilhelmina van Nederland, Rede van Koningin Wilhelmina over de Rijksstructuur: De 7 December Rede 12028, Speech Radio Orange 7 December 1942 (London, 7 December 1942), Digital Archive dragernummer REDE_VAN_KONI_AEN56055022 http://in.beeldengeluid.nl/collectie/details/expressie/445631/false/true (15th October 2017). “Het is in mijn bedoeling, na de bevrijding, de gelegenheid te scheppen om gezamenlijk te overleggen over een voor de veranderde omstandigheden passenden bouw van het Koninkrijk en zijn deelen. De daartoe bijeen te roepen