VZCZCXRO5427
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0346/01 1871912
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061912Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9487
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0131
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 1140
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0017

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000346 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CAR FOR JACKIE ROSHOLT, INR FOR BOB CARHART 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV NS CH TW
SUBJECT: GOING TO TAIWAN: SURINAMESE PARLIMENTARY VISIT 
STIRS CHINESE IRE 
 
REF: A. 2007 PARAMARIBO 297 
 
     ¶B. 2007 PARAMARIBO 172 
     ¶C. 2006 PARAMARIBO 698 
     ¶D. 2006 PARAMARIBO 286 
     ¶E. 2006 PARAMARIBO 431 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000346  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
This cable is the fourth in a series on Chinese and Taiwanese 
activities in Suriname in the spring of 2007. 
 
¶1. (SBU)  SUMMARY:  In the latest attempt by the Government 
of Taiwan (GOT) to butter up the Surinamese for eventual 
diplomatic recognition (ref A), several parliamentarians from 
the Government of Suriname (GOS) were invited to Taiwan for a 
"familiarization" visit.  The Deputy Speaker of Parliament 
says he will attend, not in his political capacity, but on 
his "personal title," and looks to be joined by 
representatives from two other coalition parties.  In 
reaction, the Government of China (GOC) summoned the GOS 
Ambassador in Beijing for an explanation of how this affects 
the GOS stance on the "One-China Policy," and dispatched 
emissaries in Paramaribo to voice disapproval.  Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Lygia Kraag-Keteldijk spoke publicly in favor 
of the Chinese line, asking for a "political solution" from 
her coalition.  However, other prominent Surinamers, 
including Speaker of Parliament Paul Somohardjo, spoke out 
angrily on what they see as bullying by the GOC.  Despite 
scoring a public relations victory, it may be for naught for 
the GOT: the largest coalition partners remain staunch 
supporters of the GOC, and the opposition has begun to show 
signs that it is as well.  The heavy-handed reaction of the 
GOC has again shown the importance Beijing places on 
Suriname.  END SUMMARY 
 
----------------------------------- 
Come Recognize the Beauty of Taiwan 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U)  At the very moment that Surinamese Vice President Ram 
Sardjoe was sending out press releases from China claiming 
success for his courtesy call there, on June 16 Taiwan struck 
back by inviting a delegation of prominent Surinamers to 
visit on a familiarization trip.  The GOT invited select 
business, union, press, and political figures to visit 
between July 16-20 and "get to know the diverse aspects of 
Taiwan, including the culture, nature, the economy, the 
democratic order, and the charm of the lovely island"... and, 
of course, to meet the Foreign Minister. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Coalition Parties Disagree, Waffle 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Parliamentarians from three of the seven coalition 
parties went back and forth in the press as to whether to 
participate.  The most prominent to still say he is going is 
Deputy Speaker Caprino Alendy, despite internal criticism 
from within his strife-ridden (ref B) coalition grouping, 
A-Combination.  Fellow A-Combination parliamentarian and 
rival Ronny Brunswijk said there is no such thing as 
traveling on "personal title" for members of parliament. 
Meanwhile, fellow coalition party and longtime China-skeptic 
(ref C) Democratic Alternative ,91 (DA ,91) is sending 
as-yet unnamed "representatives."  Opportunistic coalition 
member/nuisance, Pertjaja Luhur (ref D), remains undecided as 
to whether its participation will be at the parliamentary 
level or not. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Beijing Displeasure Plays as Heavy-Handed 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  In Beijing, GOS Ambassador Isaak Soerokarso was 
summoned to explain the incident, while officials from the 
GOC Embassy in Suriname visited the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs to express disappointment.  As usual, GOC allies in 
the GOS reacted swiftly to Chinese prompting.  Foreign 
Minister Lygia Kraag-Keteldijk told the press "we are 
bringing upon ourselves great embarrassment with this 
question internationally," and called for a "political 
solution."  As usual, she repeated GOS support for the 
"One-China Policy."  Others were not as malleable.  Speaker 
of Parliament Paul Somohardjo, who cut short a business trip 
to Germany to return to discuss the question internally, said 
the GOC is "making a mistake," and said he found the GOC 
behavior pushy.  He appeared to reverse the party,s decision 
not to send parliamentarian Hendrik Sakimin, saying the party 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000346  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
has to look into it.  Somohardjo was not alone in his 
disapproval of the GOC reaction.  DA'91 said no ambassador 
should be allowed to say with whom Suriname may have ties. 
Voices in the media called the GOC behavior everything from 
"unacceptable" to "a grave violation of our integrity," and 
former Speaker of Parliament Emile Wijntuin wrote a letter to 
the editor whose headline asked, "Is Suriname on the Way to 
Becoming a Colony of China?"  When asked about the brouhaha 
in the local press during the U.S. Embassy 4th of July event, 
Chinese Ambassador Su Ge shrugged it off, quoting a GOS MFA 
official who told him, "it,s more noise than news."  Su 
lamented it,s too bad that people are trying to sow seeds of 
conflict, since Taiwan is "just a province of China." 
 
--------------------------- 
Opposition Interest Nuanced 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  While the original announcement of the visit 
claimed opposition politicians would participate, few 
opposition names have subsequently surfaced, and with minimal 
public discussion.  Opposition parliamentarian Hariette 
Ramdien of the People,s Alliance for Progress (VVV) told 
EmbOffs her party will in fact send two representatives, but 
also said her party and the opposition in general will 
continue to support a One-China Policy.  Another source told 
post the VVV will send one of its parliamentarians. 
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Party, Suriname,s largest 
party, led by former military strongman Desi Bouterse, has 
been silent on the issue, but press reports indicate former 
NDP presidential candidate Rashied Doekhie will attend on 
behalf of the party.  The NDP is in a poor position to oppose 
the One-China Policy, which it supported when it held the 
Presidency under Jules Wijdenbosch in the late 1990,s. 
Wijdenbosch,s government also inaugurated the Surinamese 
trend to bring in large Chinese companies when it contracted 
with Dalian on a road building project.  For their part, the 
Chinese have also been more forgiving of Bouterse than other 
bilateral actors in the past (ref E). 
 
¶6. (SBU)  COMMENT:  Taiwan,s activities in Suriname are 
clearly driving the Chinese to distraction, and this latest 
round seems to have been "won" by the Taiwanese: the Chinese 
made themselves look bad with their heavy-handed 
overreaction, and the failure of China,s allies in the 
government to put an end to coalition participation in the 
trip to Taiwan indicates that support for the One-China 
Policy in Suriname is less cut-and-dried than the GOC would 
wish.  However, Post cannot envision a scenario through which 
this or any subsequent GOS would recognize Taiwan.  The 
coalition parties who have played up to Taiwan are mostly 
small, and do not have the clout or the interest to force a 
change within the coalition.  Opposition disinterest further 
damages Taiwanese hopes.  Unlike China, Taiwan has not been 
able to attract powerful allies--its friends are mostly 
marginal players or outsiders.  Finally, while the press has 
shown great displeasure with GOC pressure, there has also 
been a steady stream of articles indicating preference for, 
as one analyst put it, the "giant" China over the "dwarf" 
Taiwan, and a general disapproval over their unseemly 
competition.  What is most interesting about the continued 
fracas is the importance "giant" China continues to place on 
tiny, perceived-backwater Suriname.  Often dismissed as 
insignificant in international politics, this neglected 
stretch of resource-rich virgin rainforest run by 
opportunistic politicians has great interest for Beijing. 
END COMMENT 
SCHREIBER HUGHES