CSM Strike

After the simultaneous attack of the German submarines on 16 February 1942, the tankers of the Curaçaosche Scheepvaart Maatschappij (CSM) are ordered to remain in port until 24 February. But unrest is spreading under the Dutch officers and also the Chinese crewmembers, who make up 50% of the crews on the CSM tankers. They refuse to sail from Curaçao on 25 February, demanding better payment. On Aruba the same happens on the LAGO tankers with the Chinese crewmembers, although there they only make up appr. 10% of the crews. Negotiations start with the oil companies and the Chinese Consuls from Cuba and Trinidad are invited to assist. On Aruba an agreement is reached quickly between the Chinese crewmembers and the LAGO Oil Co., and on 7 March the LAGO tankers sail again.

On Curaçao negotiations stall, as the CPIM Oil Co. management refuses to meet the demands of the Chinese CSM crewmembers. Sources indicate that the strikers are asking for a 50 guilder monthly increase, while the company offers 4 guilders. A stalemate ensues, and on 12 and 13 March the crews refuse again when ordered to sail. CSM replaces the Chinese crewmembers on board with newly hired sailors of other nationalities, and the tankers go to sea. Governor Wouters can not allow the stalemate with the Chinese to continue and he orders the arrest of 18 Chinese strikeleaders, including their leader Chan Ya Non. They are put in a CPIM camp, next to the U.S. camp Suffisant. In the following days most other Chinese crewmembers join them voluntarily, until the number of prisoners is 428. They are watched by unarmed guards under a liberal regime, allowing them to leave camp for short periods on personal errands.

On 15 March the CSM officers go on strike also, claiming that the replacement crewmembers are lacking in quality. A group of 60 officers is imprisoned, after refusing again to sail on 19 March. Because the officers indicate that they will not go to sea without their Chinese crewmembers, the Governor installs a committee to solve the deadlock. On 26 March an agreement with the officers is reached and they are released. The next day the CSM tankers sail again, but still without the Chinese crewmembers. They continue to strike and stay in the CPIM camp.

The situation remains in a deadlock, but the authorities have indications that a large number of the Chinese would like to go to work again. But a number of hardline strike leaders is unwilling to compromise. So it is decided to separate this group from the more cooperative Chinese. Once separated, the authorities hope that this large Chinese group might be persuaded to return to their ships

On 20 April in the early morning, 8 Immigration officers and 13 Military Police members meet at the camp, led by Chief Inspector of Police W.J. van der Kroef. He is ordered to separate 85 hardliners from the rest of the Chinese and bring them to another camp. All Chinese are asked to muster and a list is presented with names of those who will be taken away. But as soon as the first Chinese striker is escorted to the exit, the Chinese group suddenly reacts. With self made weapons they storm the Dutch officials and attack them in hand to hand combat. Some officials lose their sabers and rifles in the fight, and the situation threatens to go out of control quickly.

The Dutch officials open fire on the approaching Chinese, and shortly afterwards all resistance by the Chinese ends. When order is established, 12 dead and 44 wounded Chinese are counted. The Dutch troops count three severely and two lightly wounded members. A massive force converges quickly on the camp, and the Chinese are separated as originally planned. American medical teams from the nearby U.S. Camp offer first aid to the wounded. But in the following days three of the Chinese wounded die in hospital, bringing the total amount of dead to 15.
All Chinese dead are buried in the Cemetery Kolebra Bèrdè, Cas Chiquito, Willemstad.

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