The Hague: In his Christmas speech on Sunday, Dutch King Willem-Alexander praised the government’s apologies for the Netherlands’ part in 250 years of slavery, calling it the “start of a long road.”
On Monday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte issued a formal apology for the country’s complicity in slavery in its former colonies, describing it as a “crime against humanity.”
Willem-Alexander stated from the Huis ten Bosch castle in The Hague that “none today takes responsibility for the horrible deeds that were inflicted on the lives of men, women, and children.”
We establish the foundation for a common future, one in which we oppose all contemporary manifestations of prejudice, exploitation, and injustice, by honestly confronting our shared past and admitting that slavery is a crime against humanity.
Around 600,000 Africans were transported as slaves in the Netherlands throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, primarily to South America and the Caribbean, to support its “Golden Age” of empire and culture.
The Dutch government has announced a 200 million euro ($212 million) fund for social activities and many significant memorial events that would start taking place from the next year.
Willem-Alexander pledged that the subject will keep the royal family’s interest and keep them “engaged” during the commemorative year.
However, Rutte’s decision went against the intentions of several organisations honouring suffrage, which wanted the apology to be made on July 1, 2023.
Then, in Suriname, descendants of Dutch slaves will commemorate 150 years of freedom from slavery with a festival known as “Keti Koti” (Breaking the Chains).
The authorities of the South American nation of Suriname and the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten lamented the Netherlands’ silence on the apologies.
Former Dutch colonies have called for restitution for the practise of slavery and criticised the government for failing to take meaningful action. (AFP)
Comments are closed.