Wilfred Hawker
Encyclopedia
Wilfred Hawker was a sergeant-major in the Suriname
se military
who staged two unsuccessful coup d'état
s in 1982. Hawker was executed
for his role in the plots, and he is the most recent person to have been executed by Suriname
.
In February 1980, Dési Bouterse
gained control of Suriname after staging a successful coup. Hawker was a member of the sixteen associates around Bouterse that assisted him in gaining power. In August, Bouterse dissolved parliament and declared a state of emergency
. Hawker, who disagreed with these actions, led a right-wing, Hindustani
-inspired uprising against Bouterse's régime, which began on 15 March 1981. The coup failed and Hawker was imprisoned.
On 11 March 1982, Hawker escaped from prison in the midst of another failed coup, this one led by Surendre Rambocus. Hawker was injured in the escape and was taken to a military hospital. Hawker was arrested in the hospital by Bouterse's soldiers and taken by stretcher
to Fort Zeelandia
, where he was summarily tried and condemned to death for treason
. Hawker was executed by firing squad before a live Surinamese television broadcast.
In November 2007, Surinamese military judge Dhanoesdharie Nankoesing was pressured to resign after the Dutch
periodical Obsession published a photograph
of Nankoesing holding a rifle
and speaking with Hawker on the stretcher at Fort Zeelandia. Nankoesing denied any involvement in Hawker's trial or executions, stating that he was simply a Surinamese soldier and was carrying a weapon like all soldiers do.
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
se military
Military of Suriname
After the creation of the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Royal Netherlands Army was entrusted with the defence of Suriname, while the defence of the Netherlands Antilles was the responsibility of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The army set up a separate Troepenmacht in Suriname...
who staged two unsuccessful coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
s in 1982. Hawker was executed
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for his role in the plots, and he is the most recent person to have been executed by Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
.
In February 1980, Dési Bouterse
Dési Bouterse
Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse is the 9th and current President of Suriname.As an army officer, he was the de facto leader of Suriname through most of the 1980s, serving as Chairman of the National Military Council...
gained control of Suriname after staging a successful coup. Hawker was a member of the sixteen associates around Bouterse that assisted him in gaining power. In August, Bouterse dissolved parliament and declared a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
. Hawker, who disagreed with these actions, led a right-wing, Hindustani
Hindustan
Hindustan or Indostan, literal translation "Land of River Sindhu ", is one of the popular names of South Asia. It can also mean "the land of the Hindus"...
-inspired uprising against Bouterse's régime, which began on 15 March 1981. The coup failed and Hawker was imprisoned.
On 11 March 1982, Hawker escaped from prison in the midst of another failed coup, this one led by Surendre Rambocus. Hawker was injured in the escape and was taken to a military hospital. Hawker was arrested in the hospital by Bouterse's soldiers and taken by stretcher
Stretcher
A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter, and still called by that name in some cases....
to Fort Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia (Paramaribo)
Fort Zeelandia is a fortress in Paramaribo, Suriname, that was built by British colonists in 1651 around a small trading post, created by the Dutch...
, where he was summarily tried and condemned to death for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. Hawker was executed by firing squad before a live Surinamese television broadcast.
In November 2007, Surinamese military judge Dhanoesdharie Nankoesing was pressured to resign after the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
periodical Obsession published a photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
of Nankoesing holding a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
and speaking with Hawker on the stretcher at Fort Zeelandia. Nankoesing denied any involvement in Hawker's trial or executions, stating that he was simply a Surinamese soldier and was carrying a weapon like all soldiers do.