SUMMARY OF SURINAMESE PRESS COVERAGE OF ROGER KHAN

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SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR LLUFTIG, INL, L/LEI, WHA/PD
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
CARACAS FOR LEGAAT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL PGOV KPAO NS
SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF SURINAMESE PRESS COVERAGE OF ROGER KHAN
ARREST WEEK II

Ref: Paramaribo 411

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1. The deportation of Roger Khan from Suriname and
speculation of possible U.S. involvement dominated the news
on Thursday and Friday (June 29-30). (See Reftel). All
electronic media and print covered the story extensively.
Radio and TV broadcasts focused on a chaotic parliamentary
meeting Thursday, during which President Venetiaan
officially announced the deportation amidst uproar by
opposition members eager to believe allegations that U.S.
agents surreptitiously kidnapped Khan from prison.


2. In the Friday edition of the De Ware Tijd (DWT),a major
local newspaper with the largest circulation, four of the
six front-page stories covered the Khan story. In its
feature article, DWT reported that a Surinamese police
investigation into Khan's criminal network would continue,
and speculated that deportation would cause fighting among
Guyanese criminal organizations on Surinamese territory.
This view was sparked in part by allegations that a member
of a rival criminal organization tipped off police as to
Khan's whereabouts, leading to his arrest. The article
said the recent discovery by police in Nickerie of a dead
Guyanese man was the first victim in this war.


3. In another article, DWT featured statements from the
Office of Attorney General (AG),saying that the chief of
the local police bureau ordered the deportation of Khan to
Guyana, as he was a danger to public order and security.
The article continued with a factual chronology of events
associated with the deportation; that Khan was escorted
from prison to the Johan Adolf Pangel International Airport
by members of the police Arrest Team (A-Team) and put on
board a Surinam Airways flight (SLM) to Port of Spain for
onward transit to Guyana. Khan was under the guard of three
Surinamese police officers, according to the AG. DWT
reported that U.S. judicial officials were waiting for Khan
at the airport in Trinidad and that Roger Khan would appear
in the eastern District Court in Brooklyn, New York for an
initial hearing on Friday.


4. Among DWT's Friday edition articles on Khan was one that
captured the views of Gerold Sewcharan, one of Khan's two
Surinamese lawyers, quoting his allegation that his client
was "kidnapped" by the Surinamese judicial authorities and
transported to Trinidad and Tobago. Sewcharan told the
newspaper that he had sent two letters to the AG demanding
clarification because regular legal procedures were not
followed.


5. Newspapers De West, The Times, Dagblad Suriname, along
with DWT focused front page stories on Thursday's raucous
parliamentary session that had President Venetiaan on the
defensive after coalition partner Ronnie Brunswijk claimed
Khan was whisked away by U.S. security agents from his
prison cell for transport to Trinidad and Tobago. Brunswijk
cited "reliable sources." Opposition members demanded to
know whether Brunswijk's statements were true, after which
shouting and chaos broke out, resulting in two opposition
members being forcibly removal from the session by armed
bailiffs. However, one source pointed out that Khan was far
too dangerous a person to remain in Suriname and removing
him was essential to maintaining law and order. The source
noted that Khan was known to "remove" people he perceived
as obstacles if he couldn't first buy them off.


6. Four of Suriname's major radio stations have provided
constant coverage over the past two days, with hourly
updates and also going live when necessary. On Friday mid-
day, journalists conducted a live-radio broadcast interview
with a clearly angry Justice Minister Chandrikapersad
Sanotkhi. Santokhi, who had been absent on travel to
French Guiana on June 29, returned vehemently denying all
rumors that U.S. officials were involved in the deportation
of Khan, saying "we don't need Americans to transport a
suspect from prison to the airport." Santhoki defended
Khan's routing through Trinidad, saying it was the safest
route and challenged journalists and others to first check

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their facts before coming to false conclusions. He said
journalists could have easily spoken with Surinam Airways
or the prison where Khan was held to corroborate the facts.
In an attempt to squash all rumormongering, he said plainly
"that Khan was a threat to security to Suriname and was
thus deported by Suriname, end of story."


7. All major local television news broadcasts (STVS, ATV,
Guruda, RBN, and Apintie) also covered the Khan situation,
reporting on official statements from the government as
well as rumors of U.S. involvement. Coverage focused mainly
on the spectacle in the National Assembly and the forced
removal of its two members.
BARNES