Dutch Prime Minister Apologizes For Netherlands’ Role In Slave Trade

In a speech at the National Archives in The Hague, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte formally apologized for the country’s history of slavery.

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[rheijm]

Did he define this role? Role..whaddyamean..que cosa? Pardon? Role ..as-in play? Businesses use the term...but ltds did this (well the predecessor-of) .. government is government. Trouble finding a title..or ..that would be lame, charteren a Netherlands journalist and forgot to verify the translation? Holland .. journalism..media..sigh

[glorrrr]

As the great-grandson of one of the kingdoms on the island of Java, Indonesia. Does the word "sorry" get everything done? Not yet. Do you think we've all forgotten what the hundreds of years did in our land? Who is your country rich from? From where? 1596 The first time you came to our land, how many years have it been until now? 426 years and you're only apologizing now, am I right? Where have you been for 426 years? Return all the Javanese whom you made slaves abroad, Pay all compensation for the victims of war on our land, return all stolen goods from the kingdoms in the Indonesian Archipelago. Don't forget that you are living comfortably at this time from illicit money from stolen goods and slavery, do you want to take it to death? Leaving a legacy of VOC debt to the people of Indonesia, you think we can't pay it off? We can. Are you able to pay all the costs of the loss of life in Indonesia?

[davemathews]

Gestures are important. The Dutch can't fix a problem that happened centuries ago, but acknowledging their part in this travesty goes some way in getting close of the event.

[johnlesoudeur]

Is he going to apologise to the Dutch farmers?

[jamesmurphy]

A gardener apology to the jungle
How sweet
We have cookies and chocolate bars

[Imaniconnie]

WHERE'S OUR MONEY?! Don't care about WORDS, we need the back paid money for our ancestors' labor and our current situations as a result of their enslavement.

[little_flower_]

instead of saying sorry for the wrongdoing from the past they need to teach us in school about the history. they hid is so long. most dutch people don't know anything about the slave history from the Netherlands. i think thats the only solution after so many years. I also would want to be able to change my slave lastname. me being still affected about the slavery past is something alot of dutch people wouldn't understand or want to understand seeing from all the negative comments.. the racism is still very much alive. i never feel part of the country because im reminded by it always that we as a dark skinned girl don't belong here. treated like less. we should teach our generation to treat each other like equal and respect each other by culture and their color of their skin.

[Madde]

They used our people build for 300 years and now you say sorry 😂L😂😂😂

[johnquin]

I don’t want apologies just my VISA to European Union 🇪🇺

[DJFLIPNO]

Don't humble yourself prime minister...the Vikings used to do this anyway...well a little bit more worse