Het dilemma van Derby

Why did Fred Derby escape unscathed on the night of December 7 to 8, 1982? Fifteen other alleged coup plotters were arrested, tortured, and murdered by Bouterse’s Surinamese regime at the time. Officially, the fifteen were ‘shot while fleeing,’ but in fact, they were summarily executed one by one at Fort Zeelandia. Except for Fred Derby, who was arrested but spared. The trade unionist and politician always refused to reveal details about that night until his death—according to him, it was too painful. The documentary ‘Derby’s Dilemma’ sheds new light on the executions.