The cabinet has not yet made any apologies for the Dutch slavery past. Proponents had pinned their hopes on this Keti Koti, but despite the increasing social pressure, no apology has been forthcoming. However, apologies seem to be getting closer and closer. A decision is expected in the first half of next year. In 2023 it will be 150 years since slavery ended and 160 years after its announcement.
On Monday, during a round table discussion on the history of slavery in the House of Representatives, it became clear how urgent the call for an apology is. “The best time to apologize is yesterday,” said Vito Charles, government commissioner for Saba. “It is incomprehensible that we still have to discuss whether an apology is necessary.”
The meeting lasted ten hours. Eighteen speakers told MPs about the horrific history of slavery – kidnapping, rape, resistance heroes tortured to death – and their legacy. From the former Prime Minister of Curaçao Suzanne Römer to podcast makers Maartje Duin and Peggy Bouva, they all agreed: apologies must be made.
Lionel Martijn, director of the Ocan foundation, aimed at Caribbean Dutch people, was in tears. “We should be deeply ashamed that we have not yet come to the conclusion that apologies and dialogue are necessary. Apparently we haven’t felt uncomfortable enough for 160 years to pay attention to it.”
A day later it was announced that there are still no apologies. According to the NOS, the cabinet does not think the timing is right, because of social unrest about nitrogen, purchasing power and the war in Ukraine. It would also play a role that apologies were made to the Dutchbat veterans recently.
Also read: No festival in the Oosterpark in 2021, but yes: apologies from Amsterdam
Research
Regret and remorse for slavery were expressed in 2013, by the then Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher (PvdA). The coalition parties were divided about apologies: D66 and ChristenUnie in favour, VVD and CDA against.
According to proponents, slavery still permeates discrimination and racism. Recovery and reconciliation begin with apologies. Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD), on the other hand, said in 2020 that he found apologies “complex”: “Can you hold people who live today responsible for the distant past?” Rutte first wanted to ‘deepen’ the slavery past further. He also feared that “apologies polarize our society instead of helping the debate.” The possible legal consequences would also play a role.
The parties seem to have come closer. Mainly because the House of Representatives decided last year to investigate the history of slavery. Three roundtable discussions were planned, the second of which was on Monday. In August a delegation will go to Suriname, Curaçao and Aruba. The report was also published on July 1, 2021 Chains of the Past of the Advisory Board Dialogue Group on Slavery Past, in which national apologies and remedial measures were recommended.
CDA MP Inge van Dijk: “We are not by definition against apologies. And we won’t hesitate for years, But the motions that come along I find complicated. Then it’s: ‘sorry, and on to the order of the day’. Those are not excuses. You have to determine what is appropriate, what may belong – sincere apologies.”
The milder attitude of (mainly) opponents fits in with a trend. More and more governments and agencies are making excuses. On July 1, 2021, Amsterdam apologized. Rotterdam followed in December, the municipality of Utrecht in February. ABN-Amro apologized last April.
Not optional
Public support remains an obstacle. From a survey by I&O research commissioned by Fidelity found that 56 percent of the Dutch think that the Netherlands played a “serious role” in slavery. But only 31 percent of all Dutch people thought an apology was necessary, among Dutch people with a Surinamese or Antillean background this was 70 percent.
Don Ceder, Member of Parliament of the Christian Union, also considers support important. “It is good when society says: we have a future together. That is why it is important that this is widely supported within society.”
“There is a fear of claims for damages,” says professor of constitutional law Arjen van Rijn, who assisted the Advisory Board. But they seem very unlikely to me. Crimes of this kind against humanity are time-barred.”
However, the small chance of legal consequences does not mean that apologies are completely non-binding. This also became clear during the round table discussion on Monday. Apologies are desired, but then accompanied by repair work, or even payments. There is still no agreement on this.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of 1 July 2022