Editing Henck Arron (section)

== Biography ==
Arron was born in [[Paramaribo]] in 1936. He completed high school in 1956, and moved to the [[Netherlands]] to study banking. Arron worked several years at the [[Amsterdamsche Bank]].<ref name="historiek">{{cite web|url=https://historiek.net/henck-arron-1936-2000/2975/|title=Henck Arron (1936–2000)|website=Historiek|date=December 2008 |access-date=22 June 2020|language=nl}}</ref> On return to [[Suriname]], he became staff member at the Vervuurts Bank (current name Hakrinbank).<ref name="historiek"/> In late 1963, he became deputy director of the Volkskredietbank (People's Credit Union).<ref name="nu">{{cite web|url=https://www.suriname.nu/701vips/henckarronsuriname.html|title=Henck Arron|website=Suriname.nu|access-date=22 June 2020|language=nl}}</ref>

In 1961, Arron became a member of the [[National Party of Suriname]] (NPS), the main [[Creole peoples|Creole]] party.<ref name="historiek"/> In 1970, Arron was chosen as the Chairman of the NPS.<ref name="nu"/> In 1973, he created a coalition which included the pro-independence [[Nationalist Republican Party (Suriname)|Nationalist Republican Party]] (PNR), that won that year's [[1973 Surinamese general election|general election]].<ref name="historiek"/> On 24 December 1973, Arron became prime minister, and lead the final negotiation for the [[independence of Suriname]].<ref name="nyt"/> The NPS found an ally in the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Dutch Labour Party]] (PvdA) who wanted independence as soon as possible.<ref name="kroniek">{{cite web|url=http://rozenbergquarterly.com/the-kingdom-of-the-netherlands-in-the-caribbean-suriname-1954-2004-kroniek-van-een-illusie/|title=The Kingdom Of The Netherlands In The Caribbean. Suriname 1954 – 2004: Kroniek van een illusie|website=Rozenberg Quarterly|access-date=22 June 2020|language=nl}}</ref> In February 1974, Arron announced that Suriname would be seeking independence before the end of 1975. Many observers were surprised, as Arron's NPS did not have a majority in favour of independence.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Van Amersfoort |first=Hans |date=2011 |title=How the Dutch Government stimulated the unwanted immigration from Suriname |url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d71958a0-7fe7-4809-b635-1e468cfb96a1 |journal=IMI Working Papers |language=English |publisher=International Migration Institute, University of Oxford |issue=10}}</ref>

The Netherlands granted Suriname independence on 25 November 1975.<ref name="historiek"/> The independence was marked by social unrest, economic depression, and rumours of corruption.<ref name="npo">{{cite news|url=https://npofocus.nl/artikel/7548/wat-zijn-de-decembermoorden|title=Wat zijn de Decembermoorden|website=[[Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (organization)|NPO]] Focus|language=nl|access-date=22 June 2020}}</ref> Its leaders were accused of fraud in the [[1977 Surinamese general election|1977 elections]],<ref name="npo"/> in which Arron won a further term.<ref name="nyt"/> During the first years of independence about one-third of the population emigrated to the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smc94.nl/suriname-nederland/Webtentoonstelling.html|title=WEBTENTOONSTELLING|website=Suriname-Nederland 40 jaar later|access-date=22 June 2020|language=nl}}</ref>

The hastily created [[Suriname National Army]] had many [[non-commissioned officer]]s who tried to unionise<ref name="kroniek"/> complaining about corruption,<ref name="historiek"/> and poor pay.<ref name="kroniek"/> Arron refused to recognise them, and arrested the ringleaders who were to go to trial on 26 February 1980.<ref name="sergeants">{{cite web|url=https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00095576/00033/7x|title=The Year of the Sergeants|access-date=22 June 2020|date=1980|author=Caribbean Review|website=University of Florida}}</ref> Also, elections were planned for March of that year. On 25 February,<ref name="kroniek"/> Arron was overthrown and jailed in a [[1980 Surinamese coup d'état|coup]] by the [[Military of Suriname|military]] led by [[Dési Bouterse]].<ref name="nu"/> In 1981, Arron was released under [[house arrest]]. A year later, he was selected as managing director of the Surinamese People's Credit Bank.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jan/24/guardianobituaries| title = Obituary Henck Arron| author = Gunson, Phil| date = 24 January 2001| access-date = 24 February 2020|newspaper = The Guardian}}</ref>

In 1987, the [[United Nations]], Netherlands, France, and United States pressured the military government to negotiate, and Suriname saw a return to democracy.<ref name="historiek"/> That year Arron was elected as [[Vice President of Suriname]] (and therefore Chairman of the Council of Ministers), serving from 26 January 1988 to 24 December 1990. [[Ramsewak Shankar]] was elected as president. Their government was overthrown in 1990 in another [[1990 Surinamese coup d'état|coup]] by Bouterse and the military.<ref name="nyt"/>

In December 2000, Arron was invited by the [[Royal Tropical Institute]]<ref name="historiek"/> to the Netherlands to talk about 25 years of Surinamese independence. On the evening of 4 December, he died at the home of his brother as a result of cardiac arrest.<ref name="nyt"/>