Eddy Hoost
Eddy Hoost | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hoost in 1975 | |
| Born | Edmund Alexander Hoost October 21, 1934 |
| Died | December 8, 1982 (aged 48) |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, lawyer |
Edmund Alexander "Eddy" Hoost (October 21, 1934 – December 8, 1982) was a Surinamese politician and lawyer. He was one of the victims of the December murders.
Biography
Hoost studied at the Law School in Suriname with Hugo Pos, and Harold Riedewald.[1] In 1970, he, together with Eddy Bruma and Roy Adama founded the trade union Centrale-47 (C-47), after mass strikes in 1969, demanded a new and more progressive type of labor organization. C-47 became largest trade union of Suriname, after Moederbond, a trade union closely connected with the National Party of Suriname. In 1973, Hoost became Minister of Justice and Police in the first Nationale Partij Combinatie (NPK I) cabinet, headed by Henck Arron, on behalf of the Partij Nationalistische Republiek ( Nationalists) (PNR).
The primary agenda of the PNR was the preparation of Suriname for Independence. Once in government negotiations started with the Dutch government headed by the PvdA prime minister Den Uyl. Eddy Hoost was part of Surinamese delegation to negotiate the exit out of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. From 1954 until independence, Suriname was, like the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles, officially an equal partner within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but Foreign Affairs and Defense were kingdom affairs. As the Justice minister Hoost was responsible for the transition of the Troepenmacht Suriname (TRIS) (English: Forces Suriname) into the Surinaamse KrijgsMacht (SKM). After independence on November 25, 1975, Hoost became the first Minister of Defense.
During the electoral campaign for the 1977 elections, the PNR ended co-operation with the NPS.
In 1980, a military coup took place in Suriname under the leadership of Dési Bouterse. In 1981, Eddy Hoost, together with other former ministers of the NPK I and II, became arrested on charges of corruption. He and the other people imprisoned were tortured and eventually released without a fair trial. He was finally released early 1982. In March 11, 1982, army officers Surendre Rambocus, Jiwansingh Sheombar and Wilfred Hawker staged a counter- coup. The insurgency failed and Hawker was executed, while Rambocus and others were arrested. Hoost, together with the lawyers John Baboeram and Harold Riedewald, took on the defense of Rambocus at the Court Martial. On December 3, the court sentenced Rambus to 12 years in prison with forced labor.
In the early morning of 8 December 1982, Hoost, Baboeram, Riedewald and 11 others were arrested and imprisoned in Fort Zeelandia, while Rambocus and Sheombar were transferred from the Memre Boekoe barracks, Santo Boma prison to Fort Zeelandia. On that day, an undisclosed number of individuals were executed, Eddy Hoost, was one of them. There was only one survivor, the trade union leader Fred Derby’ s life was spared. Hoost is buried at the Mariusrust cemetery.
Eddy Hoost was married. He was father of three daughters and one son.
Notes
- ^ Hugo Pos wil de vraagtekens weg hebben, Amigoe, 23 June 1990
References
- René de Groot, Drie miljard verwijten: Suriname los van Nederland 1974-1980, 2004, ISBN 9085060257
External links
- Eddy Hoost (21 oktober 1934 - 8 december 1982) Radio Nederland Wereldomroep, 5 April 2007 (in Dutch)
- Suriname (Case No. 1160) (Committee on Freedom of Association Report; 1983)
- Eddie Hoost: 21 oktober 1934 — 8 december 1982 Advocaat, deken van advocaten (in Dutch)
- Eddy Hoost (1934) advocaat (in Dutch)