Dutch prime minister apologizes for the Netherlands' role in the slave trade - CNN

CNN  — 

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized Monday for the Netherlands’ “slavery past,” which helium said continues to person “negative effects.”

Rutte’s comments were portion of the Dutch government’s wider acknowledgment of the country’s assemblage past, and an authoritative effect to a study entitled “Chains of the Past” by the Slavery History Dialogue Group, published successful July 2021.

“For centuries nether Dutch authorities authority, quality dignity was violated successful the astir horrific mode possible,” Rutte said during a code astatine the country’s National Archives successful The Hague.

“And successive Dutch governments aft 1863 failed to adequately spot and admit that our slavery past continued to person antagonistic effects and inactive does. For that I connection the apologies of the Dutch government,” the Dutch premier curate said.

Rutte besides spoke concisely successful English connected Monday, saying: “Today, I apologize.”

“For centuries, the Dutch authorities and its representatives facilitated, stimulated, preserved, and profited from slavery. For centuries, successful the sanction of the Dutch State, quality beings were made into commodities, exploited, and abused,” Rutte said.

He said that slavery indispensable beryllium condemned arsenic “crime against humanity.”

Rutte acknowledged that helium had experienced a idiosyncratic “change successful thinking” and said that helium was incorrect to person thought that the Netherlands’ relation successful slavery was “a happening of the past.”

“It is existent that nary 1 live present is personally to blasted for slavery. But it is besides existent that the Dutch State, successful each its manifestations done history, bears work for the unspeakable suffering inflicted connected enslaved radical and their descendants,” helium said.

In aboriginal 2020, the Dutch government returned a stolen ceremonial crown to the Ethiopian government.

The state profited greatly from the enslaved commercialized successful the 17th and 18th centuries; 1 of the roles of the Dutch West India Co. was to transport slaves from Africa to the Americas. The Dutch didn’t prohibition slavery successful its territories until 1863, though it was amerciable successful the Netherlands.

Dutch traders are estimated to person shipped much than fractional a cardinal enslaved Africans to the Americas, Reuters reports. Many went to Brazil and the Caribbean, portion a sizeable fig of Asians were enslaved successful the Dutch East Indies, which is modern Indonesia, the bureau wrote.

Dutch children are nevertheless taught small astir the relation Netherlands played successful the the enslaved trade, Reuters added.

Conversations astir the country’s cognition to contention person long-surrounded 1 of its vacation traditions. The quality of “Black Pete” typically sees a achromatic idiosyncratic wearing afloat blackface, an Afro wig, reddish lipstick and earrings, and is often portion of the Netherlands’ St. Nicholas festivities successful December.

Rutte in 2020 said the state his views connected “Black Pete” had undergone “major changes” – but helium wouldn’t spell arsenic acold arsenic banning it.