The king addressed thousands of descendants of slaves from Suriname and the Caribbean. His speech was well received, but many said they wanted the Netherlands to pay reparations.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander makes a formal apology for past colonialism and slavery. Photo: Reuters
"Today I stand here before you as your king and as part of your government . Today I want to sincerely apologize," said Willem-Alexander.
The "Keti Koti" ("break the chains" in Surinamese) event, to mark the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the former Dutch colony, was held in the capital's Oosterpark. Many participants wore colorful Surinamese clothing.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte formally apologized on behalf of the government in December. “The slave trade and slavery are recognized as crimes against humanity,” the king said. “The monarchs and rulers of the House of Orange did not do what was necessary to combat this system.”
"Today, I ask for forgiveness for my unclear actions," the king added. Those present welcomed the king's apology.
"The king told the people from Suriname that he was sorry," said Abmena Ryssan, 67. "Maybe now he can do something for the black people."
Since the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, the Netherlands has been embroiled in a heated debate about its colonial and slave trade past, which helped make the Netherlands one of the world's richest countries.
The Dutch royal family is often at the centre of the debate. A study published in June found that the royal family earned 545 million euros (in today's money) from the colonies between 1675 and 1770.
In 2022, King Willem-Alexander announced that he would abandon the traditional Royal carriage because it had images of slaves carved on its sides.
Mr Rutte also described slavery as a “crime against humanity” in December. Dutch ministers also visited the country’s seven former colonies. Days later, the king said in his Christmas speech that the government’s apology was “the beginning of a long journey”.
Slavery was officially abolished in Suriname and other Dutch-held territories on July 1, 1863, but only ended in 1873 after a 10-year "transitional" period.
Trung Kien (according to AFP)
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