King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has apologized for his country’s involvement in the slave trade, emphasizing his personal nad profound emotional connection to the matter.
Speaking at an event commemorating the 160th anniversary of slavery abolition within the country King Willem-Alexander labelled the practice as “horrific” and acknowledged the royal family’s inaction in preventing it.
Following the Netherland’s ascent as a major colonial power in the 17th Century, Dutch slave traders facilitated the trafficking of over 600,000 individuals.
In June, a study revealed that Dutch rulers had acquired the equivalent of 545 million euros in today’s currency between 1675 and 1770 from colonies that enforced slavery.
During his address in Amsterdam, King Willem-Alexander conceded that the House of Orange’s monarchs and rulers had taken no measures against slavery stating, “Today I stand here before you as your King as and as a part of the government. Today, I am apologising myself.”
Accompanied by Queen Maxima, the monarch also recognized that he could not speak on behalf of the entire nation, but he affirmed that “the vast majority” of Dutch citizens supported the fight for equality, irrespective of colour or cultural background.
He asserted that after acknowledging and apologising, the path towards healing, reconciliation, and restoration could be forged together. The King’s speech resonated with the crowd at the Keti Koti Festival, the annual commemoration of slavery abolition, resulting in cheers from the audience.
The Netherlands established dominion over vast territories encompassing present-day Indonesia, South Africa, Curacao, and West Papua during the 17th century, solidifying its role as a prominent participant in the transatlantic slave trade.
Thousands of Africans were forcibly transported to Dutch colonies in the Caribbean and South America, constituting approximately 5% of the entire transatlantic slave trade, until its abolition in 1863. However, in the nation of Suriname, the practice continued during a mandated 10 year transition period, causing immeasurable suffering and anguish.
The Netherlands also accumulated substantial wealth from the slave trade, with a Dutch research council study revealing that 40% of economic growth between 1730 and 1780 in the western province of Holland was attributable to the practice.
Last year, Prime Minister Mark Rutte also issued an apology for the historical role of the Netherlands in the slave trade, categorizing it as a “crime against humanity” in a speech at the Hague.
However, prior to Rutte’s speech, Waldo Koendjbhiharie, a retiree who was born in Suriname but resided in the Netherlands for many years, expressed dissatisfaction with mere apologies.
“It’s about money. Apologies are merely words, and words cannot be used to purchase anything,” NPR quoted him as saying, reflecting a wider attitude that apologies are not enough.
Additionally, Mitchell Esajas, the director of the Black Archives organisation and a member of the activist group Black Manifest, declined the invitation to attend the speech due to what he considered a “nearly insulting” lack of consultation with the Black community.
He said it was a historic moment but lamented the lack of concrete plan for reparations. “Reparation wasn’t even mentioned,” Esaja said. “So, beautiful words, but it’s not clear what the next concrete steps will be.”
The prime minister’s apology came after the recommendations published in 2021 by the government-appointed advisory board. Its recommendations included apology and recognition from the government that the slave trade and slavery from the 17th century until abolition “that happened directly or indirectly under Dutch authority were crimes against humanity”
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