WILLEMSTAD - Several Members of Parliament have expressed their outrage over a statement made by Gideon van Meijeren, a Dutch Member of Parliament from the Forum for Democracy (FVD), during a debate on Tuesday. The discussion revolved around an incident in which a group of young people pushed another young person onto train tracks. Van Meijeren referred to this group as 'Negroid primates.'
Ana-Maria Pauletta, a Member of Parliament from the opposition party PAR, believes that this incident highlights the ongoing discussion about racism and discrimination. The media reports that politicians are relieved that the President of the Dutch Parliament intervened when Van Meijeren made his statement.
Furthermore, there is concern among some Members of Parliament regarding the prevailing fear. Gwendell Mercelina, from the coalition party PNP, expresses surprise that such a statement was made in a year when the Netherlands is apologizing for its history of slavery. Mercelina also mentions the FVD supporters living in Curaçao and believes that such statements feed into their mindset, which poses a dangerous development for Curaçao.
Van Meijeren's statement has also been met with rejection in the Netherlands. Several politicians have voiced their displeasure with his remarks. Following multiple warnings, the chairman of the meeting curtailed his speaking time.
The FVD MP has not retracted his words.