On behalf of his government, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologised on Monday for the Netherlands’ complicity in slavery and the slave trade. While campaigners hailed his apology as historic, it was devoid of specific measures for restitution or reconstruction.
“Today I apologize,” Rutte said in a 20-minute speech that was greeted with silence by an invited audience at the National Archive.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has apologized for the nation’s role in slavery. Activists had urged him to wait until July 1, the anniversary of the abolition of slavery. Some even went to court last week in a failed attempt to block the speech. The Dutch government previously expressed regret but stopped short of a formal apology. The Dutch first became involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the late 1500s.
An independent investigation found widespread racism at the Dutch Foreign Ministry. In Suriname, activists and officials say they have not been asked for input. What’s really needed, they say, is compensation.
