2-7-2023 (JAKARTA) On Saturday, Dutch King Willem-Alexander issued an apology for his country’s involvement in slavery during the past, acknowledging its ongoing impact even today.
The apology came during a ceremony commemorating the 160th anniversary of the legal abolition of slavery in the Netherlands, including its former colonies in the Caribbean.
“On this day as we remember the history of Dutch slavery, I apologize for this crime against humanity,” said the king.
He acknowledged that racism remains an unresolved issue in Dutch society and recognized that not everyone may be willing to accept his apology.
“However, times have changed, and Keti Koti…the chains of slavery have truly been broken,” he stated, drawing cheers and applause from thousands of spectators at the national slavery monument in Amsterdam’s Oosterpark.
“Keti Koti” is a Surinamese term meaning “cutting the chains.” It is the name given to the commemoration of slavery and the celebration of freedom, observed annually on July 1 in the Netherlands.
The king’s apology comes amidst widespread reflection on the Dutch colonial past, including Amsterdam’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and slavery in its former Asian colonies.
In 2020, Willem-Alexander had also apologized to Indonesia for the “excessive violence” during Dutch colonial rule.
In December, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte acknowledged his country’s responsibility in the transatlantic slave trade, which had benefited the nation financially, and issued an apology.
Rutte stated that the Dutch government would not be paying reparations, as recommended by an advisory panel in 2021.
A government-commissioned study released last month found that the Netherlands had profited around $600 million USD (Rp9 trillion) from colonization between 1675 and 1770.
The majority of these profits were derived from the lucrative spice trade of the Dutch East India Company.
In December, the Royal House ordered an independent investigation into the role of the Royal Family in Dutch colonial history, with the findings expected to be available in 2025.
