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Nicky91 · 19-12-2022, 08:10 AM

Rutte’s speech today: Apologies for slavery history, or not yet?

It will finally become clear if Prime Minister Mark Rutte's “significant moment” will be an actual apology from the Dutch Cabinet for the country’s past history involving slavery, or whether it will be little more than a “starter pistol” for the commemorative year 2023 in which the 150th anniversary of the end of slavery will be commemorated. After weeks of leaks, anger, dissatisfaction, conversations in the prime minister’s residence, and an urgent visit by Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag to Suriname to smooth out the wrinkles, Rutte will give a speech at the National Archives in The Hague on Monday afternoon.

So far, Rutte has refused to say whether he will apologize on behalf of the government. For weeks, the prime minister has only talked about the day containing a “meaningful moment.” However, Legal Protection Minister Franc Weerwind seemed to confirm an apology weeks ago. Invitees concerned with the handling of the history of slavery in Suriname and the Caribbean Netherlands were also told in the Catshuis, the prime minister’s official residence, that the Cabinet is committed to formally apologizing on 19 December.

It is precisely that date, as well as the speed at which the Cabinet now seems to be racing towards an apology, that have upset and irritated many people. Many advocates would rather see this happen during Keti Koti on 1 July, the day in which the abolition of slavery is celebrated annually. That date has similar meaning as the Liberation Day celebrations in the Netherlands on 5 May, one of the guests representing Surinamese groups recently said after a conversation in the Cathuis.

Many people also do not understand why the Cabinet is suddenly in such a hurry. It is said that this has to do with the elections for the provincial governments in March, and how that then affects the composition of the Eerste Kamer, the Dutch Senate. The current coalition fears that political relations will then have changed to such an extent that there will no longer be enough political support for an apology.

In addition to the date, it bothers many advocates and representatives that they have not yet been involved in developing the content of an apology, and especially the words used in the statement. One recently said that the government should at least acknowledge and clearly state that the past history of slavery is a crime against humanity.

If apologies are offered on Monday, the question is whether they will be accepted, and by whom. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs of Sint Maarten has apparently said she would not accept it.

In 2023 it will be exactly 160 years ago that the ten-year phasing out of slavery was announced in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The practice will have fully came to an end 150 years ago.

https://nltimes.nl/2022/12/19/ruttes...ry-history-yet

Oliver_W · 19-12-2022, 10:10 AM

"We're sorry for something that no-one living is responsible for, and that no-one in living memory is affected by."

arista · 19-12-2022, 11:57 AM

[In 2023 it will be exactly 160 years ago that
the ten-year phasing out of slavery was announced
in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.]

Yes long time ago Nicky
your Evil nation - back then.

Nicky91 · 19-12-2022, 01:44 PM

https://nltimes.nl/2022/12/19/nether...ct-descendants

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte formally apologized on behalf of the Dutch State for the country’s involvement in enslaving people during the colonial era. Additionally, King Willem-Alexander will take part in the ceremony in Amsterdam next year marking the 150th anniversary commemoration of the end of slavery.

The prime minister specifically referenced slavery as being a “crime against humanity,” and said that Dutch people must develop their way of thinking about the country’s history, just as he has done. "I want to be open about that," Rutte said during a highly anticipated address at the National Archives on Monday. He said that he believed that there was no legitimate way that the Cabinet could somehow take responsibility for something that happened “so long ago,” but he has since changed his mind on the issue.

"I thought it was behind us, but I was wrong. It affects the here and now."

For years, Rutte and his Cabinets were against apologizing for the Netherlands' history of slavery, calling formal excuses polarizing and controversial. But after the advisory board established to investigate the slavery past urged the Cabinet to apologize in a report titled Chains of the Past and parliamentary pressure to do the same, The Rutte IV Cabinet decided to do so.

Advocates and advisors have also called for King Willem-Alexander to be the one to apologize. Rutte previously insisted that the matter was too controversial for the king. However, Rutte’s stance on the matter seemed to be more acknowledging of the role the king can take moving forward, particularly as July 1 marks the 150th anniversary of the complete abolition of slavery everywhere in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

“During the commemoration year, all facets of the history of slavery and its impact in our time will be in the spotlight,” Rutte said. “The king feels personally very involved in the subject and will be present at the commemoration and celebration in Amsterdam on July 1. And we are looking beyond 2023.

The Rutte IV Cabinet decision to apologize on December 19 was leaked to the press in November, including plans for Rutte to make the apology from the National Archive in The Hague while, and seven members of the Cabinet traveled to Suriname and the Caribbean parts of the Netherlands to discuss the apology after watching a live stream of Rutte's speech.

The planned apology almost immediately sparked criticism. Several Surinamese groups called the apology rushed and filed a lawsuit to postpone it to July 1 next year, the 160th anniversary of the process to officially abolish of slavery. According to the involved groups, that date holds historical significance to many, while December 19 is just a random date. The court ruled against them on December 15.

On Monday, Rutte also said during his address that he regretted how the situation was handled over the last few weeks.

Suriname was also critical of the Cabinet's plans to send Minister Franc Weerwind (Legal Protection), himself a descendant of enslaved people, to the country for the apology. Some felt it was inappropriate for a descendant of the enslaved to have to apologize for the Netherlands' history of slavery. Johan Roozer of the Surinamese National Committee of Slavery Commemoration, for example, said that he would only accept the apologies if they came from a "white person." The Cabinet sent Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag to Suriname to explain the government's plans in person and reduce the irritation.

The Cabinet's formal excuses follow apologies from the Netherlands' four largest cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague - for the role they played in the country's history of slavery. The Dutch central bank DNB and ABN Amro also already apologized for their part therein