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local Tuesday 20 december 2022
Dutch government apologizes for slavery past

authority of the West Indies
Company.
“The numbers are unimagi-
nable. The human suffer-
ing that they endured is
even more unimaginable.
An endless stream of sto-
ries that were lived, and
testimonies from witnesses
show that there was no lim-
it to the arbitrary cruelty of
the slave system, and thus
there was no limit to injus-
tice and terror”, Rutte said.

The Prime Minister refer-
enced the book Anton
de Kom, which tells about
the treatment and horrible
punishments that the slaves
ORANJESTAD – Yesterday tunities and fighting racism had to endure. In the book, long time, he thought that
morning, a historical mo- and discrimination. the reader can find stories it was not possible to take A very specific pointed
ment for Aruba, the Neth- about people who were significant responsibility for mentioned by Van der Burg
erlands and the rest of the “The history that we share tortured to death, people something that happened was that slavery in Aruba
kingdom took place. The leaves us living in the 21st who lost their extremities as so many years ago. For was less intense compared
prime minister of the Neth- Century amazed and punishment or were burned a long time, he said, he to other countries, but this
erlands, Mark Rutte, of- ashamed for acts that took with iron on their faces. thought that the role of the further emphasized the cru-
ficially apologized in the place. History cannot be “We can read about it, we Netherlands in the history of elty of those who enslaved
name of the Dutch Govern- eliminated with an apol- are aware of it, but even slavery was something of people.
ment for slavery in the past ogy, and this is not the in- so, the horrible destiny of the past, but he was wrong. The Secretary of State also
of the kingdom. Secretary tention of the Cabinet. We the person who was turned “Centuries of oppression indicated that he finds Vir-
of State for Justice and Se- cannot change the past, into a slave is almost un- and exploitation have ef- ginia Dementricia, and
curity of the Netherlands, but we can recognize it. imaginable”, he added. fects on the present still, Aruban born in slavery, to
Eric van der Burg was pres- The Cabinet sees today’s in racist stereotypes, in be admirable and he finds
ent in Aruba, representing reaction as an important Rutte commented that this discrimination and exclu- it remarkable that she had
the Dutch government for step, not as closure”, he in- history finds, in recent years, sion patterns and in social the shine and courage to
this special moment. dicated. more attention through ex- inequality. And to break resist her oppression.
hibitions, publications and these patterns we must
Prime Minister Rutte empha- He added that the Cabinet also in public debate. He face the past with hones- Looking forward, the Dutch
sized during his speech that sees the process of aware- emphasized that social ty”, Rutte emphasized. government is collaborat-
he is aware of the responsi- ness of slavery in the past awareness is taking place ing with Aruba to surpass
bility of the Dutch State in its as a long one, and wants and through this there is Dutch Secretary of State challenges presented by
historical form, and thus he to put a basis for a united also a change in mentality, for Justice and Security, the history of slavery, by
offered apologies for the future on the way to the something that is good, ap- Van der Burg mentioned in contributing to the digita-
role of the Netherlands, in year of commemoration of propriate and necessary, his speech that he is thank- lization of the National Ar-
the involvement of its gov- abolition of slavery, which because the silence lasted ful to those that for many chive in order to improve
ernment predecessors, to will begin on the 1st of July, too long, he said. years fought to resist slav- accessibility to documents
allow, facilitate, promote, 2023. ery. “A lot of our parents that help those interested
pertuate and benefit from He said he personally also are those who suffered be- in finding out more about
the slave trade. Rutte pointed out that experienced a change in cause of slaver in the past”, their past to find the neces-
“Slavery affected the dig- even though we cannot thought. He said that for a he commented. sary information.q
nity of human beings for hear voices from the past,
many years, slavery by the story that can be made
which people were con- out of historical documen-
sciously reduced to busi- tations is not always pretty,
ness merchandise in a re- and many times it is ugly,
pulsive way and were re- painful and directly shame-
moved from their circle and ful. This is the case for the
their family”, Rutte said. role of the Netherlands in
the history of slavery.
He indicated that to be- He continued saying that
gin reparations, an integral until 1814, over 600,000
package of measures will men, women and children
be offered which will in- out of Africa were en-
clude, among other things, slaved and sent in boats in
stimulation of knowledge, deplorable conditions to
awareness, recognition, the American continent by
commemoration and bet- Dutch slave traders. In Asia,
ter understanding of the ef- between 660,000 and one
fects of slavery to this day. million people – there is no
Aside from this, the Cabinet certain number – were traf-
will work on equal oppor- ficked to the areas under