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Dutch expected to apologise for 250 years of slavery
Prime Minister Mark Rutte is giving a speech on slavery in The Hague in what he has called a "meaningful moment" while Dutch ministers are travelling to seven former colonies in South America and the Caribbean for the event.
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Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks during the debate about the developments surrounding the coronavirus crisis in the Hague, the Netherlands, on June 4, 2020. (ANP/AFP/Bart Maat )
T
he Netherlands looks set Monday to finally embark on a path leading to a formal apology for its tainted 250-year history of slavery.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte is giving a speech on slavery in The Hague in what he has called a "meaningful moment" while Dutch ministers are travelling to seven former colonies in South America and the Caribbean for the event.
Sigrid Kaag, the Dutch finance minister and deputy prime minister, said on an official visit to Suriname last week that a "process" would begin leading up to "another incredibly important moment on July 1 next year".
Descendants of Dutch slavery will then celebrate 150 years of liberation from slavery in an annual celebration called "Keti Koti" (Breaking the Chains) in Surinamese.
But the plan has caused controversy, with groups and some of the affected countries criticising the move as rushed, and saying the lack of consultation by the Netherlands smacked of a still-colonial attitude.
As a result, Rutte has still not yet confirmed he will actually apologise, saying last week that details of his speech are "something that I would really like to keep under wraps until Monday".
Local media said "everything points to the fact that he will indeed apologise" for the Dutch role in a trade that caused centuries of untold misery, but it remained unsure.
