King William-Alexander: ‘Apology’ for Dutch role in slave trade is just the beginning

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“The apology expressed by the government is the beginning of a long road,” the king stressed.

The King of the Netherlands, in his Christmas address to the nation, welcomed the government’s “apology” this week for the Dutch state’s role in the slave trade and said it was only “the beginning of a main road”.

“No one bears responsibility today for the inhumane actions at the expense of the lives of men, women and children,” emphasized King William-Alexander.

“But by honestly facing our shared past and recognizing the crime against humanity that slavery is, we are laying the foundations for a shared future,” he added.

“A future in which we will stand up against every modern form of discrimination, exploitation and injustice,” he explained.

“The apology expressed by the government is the beginning of a long road,” the king stressed.

The slave trade helped finance the Netherlands’ ‘golden age’, a period of prosperity thanks to maritime trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. The country shipped about 600,000 African slaves, especially to South America and the Caribbean.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the slave trade a “crime against humanity”, formally apologizing for the state’s role. However, Prime Minister Zid Maarten and Suriname’s president later expressed their regret at the “lack of dialogue” on the part of the Netherlands on the issue. Some former Dutch colonies have sought reparations for the actions of the Dutch state.

RES-EMP

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