Jocelyn de Haak: Colonial system deprives people of their identity

The colonial system deprives people of their fundamental right to self-determination and forces them to submit to external control, Jocelyn de Haak, a human rights activist from Bonaire, said at the international conference "Colonialism: Erasure of National-Religious Identity" held in Baku, Report informs.

According to de Haak, after losing self-government as a result of colonization, the inhabitants of Bonaire were deprived of the opportunity to independently govern their lands and make key decisions that determine their future.

"Such situations did not happen during the period of self-government. We controlled our territory and people. Now all decisions are made for us by external forces, not by ourselves," she noted.