International protest action: Parliament against the VIA

September 15, 2008 6:12 AM

Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles back the Antillean government in her protest against the introduction of the Index Reference Antilleans (VIA) or any other equivalent registration that is based on ethnicity. This parliament also requests the De Jongh-Elhage government, the Governing Bodies of the Antillean island territories, the United Nations, and the European council of Ministers to let this be known.

Yesterday evening Parliament decided on this in a motion that was unanimously passed.

The Parliament urges the Netherlands to abandon the VIA-regulation or anything like that. Not only because it wrongfully stigmatizes the entire Antillean-Aruban community in the Netherlands and hinders their integration, but also because this current reprehensible index reference also slavery, colonization, apartheid, and the Holocaust were legally acceptable at that time, but are not at all defensive morally and ethnically’.

That the third report of the European Community against intolerance and Racism (Ecri) as well as the report of the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) dismissed the VIA, is for the Parliament an argument to be against this.
Ecri as well as OSJI and other relevant racialistic and discriminatory organizations will be informed of the present decision of the State Council. These organizations will also be asked for advice for an international lobby against the VIA and/or against any other equivalent registration that is based on ethnicity.

(Source: National Newspaper Amigoe)

12 September, 2008