The King of Holland, in his address to the nation on the occasion of Christmas, welcomed the government’s “apology” this week for the Dutch state’s role in the slave trade and stressed it was only “the beginning of a long road».
“No one bears responsibility today for the inhumane actions against 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 stand up against all modern forms of discrimination, exploitation and injustice“, explained.
“The apology expressed by the government is the beginning of a long road“, emphasized the king.
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 regret at the “lack of dialogue” on the part of the Netherlands on the matter. Some former Dutch colonies have sought reparations for the actions of the Dutch state.
Source: News Beast
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