"Today colonialism does not appear in the form it was taught in the past. It sometimes hides behind concepts that sound like constitutions, control mechanisms, financial oversight, and 'autonomy'."
Oxu.Az reports citing AZERTAC that Alston Lourens, secretary of the "One SXM" organization and former advisor to the St. Maarten government, said this during his speech at the international conference "Right of Return and Self-Determination: Double Standards and Selective Approaches," organized by the Baku Initiative Group at the Capitol building in Washington.
He noted that the island of St. Maarten in the Caribbean is a clear example.
"The island is divided into two parts and is under the influence of two different colonial administrations. Nevertheless, the people living here preserve their unity, shared identity, and common future. Who controls international relations today? The Kingdom. Who makes the final decision? The Kingdom. Local governments can only act freely to a certain extent. If people cannot determine their future without pressure, dependence, and fear, it is not full self-determination. Autonomy does not mean freedom. There can be different flags and legal systems, but the logic is the same: small nations can only manage their affairs as much as the big power allows," he said.
