Hendrick Chin A Sen

Hendrick Chin A Sen 陳亞先
2nd Prime Minister of Suriname
In office 15 March 1980 – 4 February 1982
Preceded by	Henck Arron
Succeeded by	Henry Neijhorst
2nd[1] President of Suriname
In office 15 August 1980 – 4 February 1982
Preceded by	Johan Ferrier
Succeeded by	Fred Ramdat Misier
Personal details
Born	Hendrick Rudolf Chin A Sen (1934-01-18)18 January 1934 Albina, Surinam
Died	11 August 1999(1999-08-11) (aged 65) Paramaribo, Suriname
Nationality	Surinamese
Political party	Nationalist Republican Party
Spouse(s)	Sherlyne Chin A Sen
Occupation	Politician, physician

Hendrick Rudolf "Henk" Chin A Sen (simplified Chinese: 陈亚先; traditional Chinese: 陳亞先; pinyin: Chén Yàxiān; 18 January 1934 – 11 August 1999) was a Surinamese politician who served as the President of Suriname from 15 August 1980 until 4 February 1982.^[2]

Biography

Chin A Sen was born in the town of Albina, on 18 January 1934. He studied medicine at the medical school of Paramaribo and graduated in 1959. From 1959-1961, he began a general practice, then went to the Netherlands to specialize as an internist. When he returned to Suriname, he worked in the Sint Vincentius hospital in Paramaribo. Then he joined the Nationalist Republican Party (PNR), a party which pursued the independence of Suriname, although he was not very active.

On 15 March 1980, after the Sergeants Coup, which brought Dési Bouterse and his military council to power, Chin A Sen was installed as Prime Minister of Suriname. The appointment of the non-politically active Chin A Sen came as a surprise. Chin A Sen formed a leftist cabinet which also included two members of the National Military Council (NMR). On 15 August 1980, after President Johan Ferrier resigned, Chin A Sen assumed the post of President as well. However, Bouterse and Chin A Sen soon fell out. Bouterse sought a society with a socialist and revolutionary base in which the NMR would pull the strings in the background while Chin A Sen sought the restoration of democracy.

On 4 February 1982, Chin A Sen was sacked by Bouterse and exiled himself first to Pittsburgh in the United States and then to the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, after the December murders of 1982, Chin A Sen was chosen as Chairman of the Council for the Liberation of Suriname. The Council opposed the reign of Bouterse and his supporters, but it was not very successful. Chin A Sen was later in connection with Ronnie Brunswijk and his Jungle Commando, who waged an armed struggle against Bouterse.

An attack in Rijswijk in 1985 in which 3 people died during a meeting of the Council for the Liberation, was probably directed against Chin A Sen.^[3] He was, however, not present at that moment.

In 1995, Chin A Sen returned to Paramaribo, where he resumed his work as an internist. He died at the age of 65 in Paramaribo.^[4]

References