VZCZCXRO1040
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0424/01 1871917
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061917Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8504
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 1058
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1562
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1444
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0152
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000424 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR LLUFTIG, INL, L/LEI, WHA/PD 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
CARACAS FOR LEGAAT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL PGOV KPAO NS
SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF SURINAMESE PRESS COVERAGE OF ROGER KHAN 
ARREST  WEEK of July 3 
 
Ref: A) Paramaribo 415 
 
     B) Paramaribo 392 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000424  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.     The deportation of Roger Khan from Suriname 
continues to receive both front-page and electronic media 
coverage this week. (See reftel A and B for earlier 
coverage). The Times of Suriname published the results of 
an opinion poll conducted on July 5 by a respected 
Surinamese polling organization that showed broad support 
for Khan's deportation.  The Institute of Development 
Oriented Studies [IDOS, an independent polling group 
affiliated with Suriname's sole University.] polling 
results indicate that 47.9 percent of Surinamese approved 
of the deportation of Roger Khan, while 27.3 percent 
believe that it would have been better for the GOS to 
prosecute him in Suriname; 24.7 percent registered no 
opinion.  IDOS further found that 70 percent of the people 
polled believe that Khan is a criminal; with 53.8 percent 
responding that they understood the reason the GOS chose to 
deport him. A minority of 18.3 percent said they were in 
agreement with statements made by Khan's attorney, Mr. 
Erwin Kanhai, that U.S. agents kidnapped Khan.  Of those 
sampled, 62.45 percent were of the opinion that Attorney 
General Subhas Punwasi had handled the matter properly in 
accordance with Surinamese law. 
 
¶2.  This division of opinion was roughly echoed on July 6 
in an unscientific "man in the street" opinion poll in 
which the newspaper Dagblad Suriname canvassed 8 people 
randomly asking them how important it was for the GOS to 
keep Khan in Suriname for the sake of prosecution. Six out 
of 8 people approved of Khan's deportation, with one even 
referring to him as 'the second Bin laden.' Of the two 
disagreeing with the government's action, one thought he 
should have been prosecuted in Suriname and the other 
questioned his being a true threat to Suriname's national 
security. These two also believed Khan should have received 
better treatment from the officers who took him to the 
airport and one of the eight (still unconvinced of the 
government's accounting of events) voiced his concern that 
Americans may have come on Surinamese soil to apprehend 
him. An editorial appearing on Thursday (7/6/2006) in the 
daily newspaper, de Ware Tijd (DWT) strongly supported the 
GOS's decision. It stated, "Lady Justice is blind, but she 
holds a scale" wherein the editor explained that Suriname 
had to weigh all options and with public interest in mind 
the State chose to deport Khan, who posed a real threat to 
national security. 
 
¶3. On Monday, Sky Radio broadcast a live 3-hour call-in 
talk show with the Minister of Justice and Police 
Chandrikapersad Santhoki in which he fielded questions from 
listeners reacting to news reports of Khan's capture and 
deportation. On Tuesday following the broadcast, the daily 
newspaper DWT published an editorial praising the 
Minister's candid remarks and said his performance should 
stand as a model for how others in the government should 
address matters of grave public concern. 
 
¶4.  DWT also published an interview with the Attorney 
General on Wednesday in which he revealed for the first 
time that he had ordered an investigation into attempts by 
members of Khan's criminal network to free him from 
custody. Mr. Punwasi said that a prison guard was offered a 
bribe $ 500,000 USD to facilitate a breakout attempt. 
Immediately after being offered the bribe the officer 
notified his superiors and as a result, the authorities 
were able to enhance security. The AG said that his office 
knows who approached the prison guard and that the source 
of the money was from Guyanese criminal circles, but a 
Surinamer offered it to the guard. The investigations also 
revealed that these Guyanese criminals also had detailed 
drawings of the Santo Boma Prison were Khan was being held. 
The AG further explained that immediately upon learning of 
the attempt to free Khan plans were made to deport him. For 
security reasons, and realizing the extent of Guyanese 
involvement, it was decided not to transport Khan overland. 
Simply moving him around Paramaribo in a vehicle was 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000424  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
difficult which led to the decision to give Khan's attorney 
access to him at prison rather than allow him to travel to 
the Court of Justice for an interview. 
 
¶5. There is also ongoing coverage of demonstrations against 
Suriname and the U.S. by family and friends of Roger Khan. 
The De Ware Tijd noted they protested in front of the 
Embassies of Suriname and the United States in Georgetown, 
Guyana, highlighting their displeasure with the way in 
which Khan was handed over to American authorities. 
This follows earlier coverage of Khan's mother protesting 
in front of the Surinamese Embassy in Washington, D.C. 
 
BARNES