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local Wednesday 21 december 2022

Dutch Secretary of State, Van der Burg:

“We need to give priority to modern slavery

ORANJESTAD – Last Mon-
day, the prime minister of
the Netherlands, Mr. Mark
Rutte offered apologies in
the name of the past gov-
ernment for slavery in the
past. In the afternoon, the
prime minister of Aruba,
Mrs. Evelyn Wever-Croes
together with Dutch Secre-
tary of State for Justice and
Security, Mr. Eric van der
Burg held a press confer-
ence regarding this histori-
cal moment.

Premier Wever-Croes point-
ed out that the apology of
the Cabinet marks a his-
torical day. “It is a day that
our ancestors could only
dream about. The prime
minister of the Netherlands,
Mark Rutte apologized
for slavery in the past. He
recognized before that
this was a crimen against
humanity, and then he of-
fered his official apology.”

Wever-Croes added that
even though she could
comment on the way in
which the preparations for
the apology took place, sion that since the first of among others – something the present and future. tion of the state, the coast
“this does not take away July 2022, has been work- that Rutte also mentioned guard and public servants.
that well-intended apolo- ing on the history of slavery, in his speech. “As was al- During questions from the
gies are always welcome and their wish is that for next ready mentioned, this is the press, our reporter asked The Secretary of State add-
and that they owe our an- July 1st they can present a beginning of the trajectory the Secretary of State ed that they are introduc-
cestors to find recognition concrete plan on what this for us to continue working about modern slavery and ing expertise on processing
for them, as they have re- all means for Aruba. together on improving the abuse. Van der Burg ex- of people guilty of human
ceived today.” relationship between Aru- plained that he visited the smuggling and trafficking.
Van der Burg pointed out ba and the Netherlands, team that is in charge of He added that we must
Wever-Croes said that the importance of this his- but also the beginning of people smuggling and traf- remember that everyone
what Rutte said, namely, torical moment for the the trajectory for the next ficking in Aruba. He em- needs to pay attention to
that this is not a period, but Netherlands, Aruba and processes regarding the phasized that even though awareness within the com-
a comma, because from the entire Dutch Caribbe- history of slavery”, Van der he came to Aruba in the munity, because a lot of
this moment on, Aruba, the an. He remembered that in Burg said. name of the government people don’t realize the
Netherlands and the en- his speech, Rutte was very of the Netherlands in the danger of human traffick-
tire Kingdom will continue clear as well that he is also Aside from that, he empha- context of the apology for ing.
working together on the thankful to people and or- sized that it is very impor- slavery in the past, daily “What sometimes we see
path to recovery, restora- ganizations that during the tant also to recognize the as Secretary of State he is as just bad labor condi-
tion and reconciliation. last years have been work- history of slavery and also responsible for different af- tions, or we say that people
She emphasized that the ing on proving how impor- show how the effects of this fairs and two of these are can leave, they can quit
Government of Aruba is tant it is for the Netherlands remain to this day in the life people smuggling and traf- and go do something else,
very thankful to the govern- to express their apologies of people and in society. ficking, which he under- but it’s exploitation of vul-
ment of the Netherlands for and to have recognition of scored is very important to nerable people who are in
taking this very important the crimes that took place Van der Burg mentioned him. a position to be exploited
first step, and it is now left against people. that during his stay he vis- and many times do not
to the present generation ited the National Archive of Van der Burg also ex- have a way out”, he point-
to ensure that what hap- The Secretary of State also Aruba and he commented plained that he could see ed out.
pened in the past never said that Monday morning that that shows how impor- what is already being done
takes place again, and this he had a nice meeting with tant it is for the archive to in Aruba in this area and Van der Burg emphasized
is why they will be taking Wever-Croes, one in which not only capture history, how they are taking big, that priority need to be
steps together to prevent it. there was also the possibil- but also make this history important steps to bring ex- given to modern slavery,
ity of expressing criticism – public for all who want to perts on human trafficking which is not comparable
Regarding Aruba, Wever- for example, for the date see how the story of a spe- and human smuggling, to to the history of slavery but
Croes indicated that min- chosen, the process until cific person was, the story train people, not only in the nonetheless is completely
ister of Culture, Xiomara now during which some of their family, but also what direction of law enforce- unacceptable.q
Maduro formed a commis- things did not go optimally, it meant for that person in ment but also in the direc-