The National Slavery Heritage Platform in Aruba (PNHSA), in a coordinated effort with similar organizations in Curaçao, St. Maarten, and St. Eustatius, delivered a joint letter to the parliaments of these islands on July 6, 2026. This action marks firm opposition to the Netherlands’ intention to reintroduce mandatory military service (“Dienstplicht”) for citizens within the Kingdom.
Rejection of Unilateral Decisions According to Sirelda Jackson, President of PNHSA, this measure has direct consequences for youth on the islands, both men and women, as the islands are part of the Dutch Kingdom. The foundations stand against the way the Netherlands makes these decisions unilaterally, without prior consultation with the people of the islands. PNHSA considers this militarization a danger, as the islands live in the Caribbean as a “zone of peace,” a status they wish to maintain.
Digital Access for Citizens To ensure the public is well-informed, the official letter delivered to the President of the Parliament of Aruba is available for public consultation. Shirley Caines, Vice-President and Treasurer of PNHSA, confirmed that all citizens can read this document via a digital system.
• The letter is available in Papiamento (Aruba), Papiamento (Curaçao), and English.
• Citizens can visit the official website: https://www.big6caribbean.org to consult the document.
Caines emphasized that this action is a display of unity among the four islands, where the organizations are monitoring the situation closely and working together to defend the interests of the Caribbean, to prevent the islands from being affected by policies
that do not align with their reality.
