Dutch Cabinet apologies for slavery

[pieter]

Dutch Cabinet remains with 19 December for apologies for slavery history


Armand Zunder, Chairman National Repair Commission Suriname (NRCS), a Surinamese presidential commission (of the Republic of Suriname), at the Catshuis. The Catshuis (English: Cats House), initially known as Huis Sorgvliet (Sorgvliet House), is the official residence of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Built between 1651 and 1652 for Jacob Cats as private villa, it was renamed after him after his death. The Catshuis residence is mainly used to house political meetings and receive official guests.

For the time being, the cabinet still intends to apologize for the slavery past on 19 December. This is the opinion of several people who were present today at the meeting between the government and interest groups at the Catshuis. On Friday during the Council of Ministers, the cabinet will take the plunge.

It was previously leaked that the Dutch government intends to apologize for its slavery past. According to the plan, various ministers will apologize on December 19 in the Netherlands and in other parts of the kingdom such as Suriname and the Caribbean.

Storm of criticism

Shortly after the leak of this plan, various interest groups expressed strong criticism. The date in particular is a hot topic: several groups argued that the apologies should be made on July 1, 2023, when it will be 160 years since slavery was abolished. They even filed a lawsuit to get this done.


The representative of the Surinamese governnment, Johan Roozer, chairman of the Suriname National Slavery Commemoration Committee, said to the Dutch press in The Hague that the coloured (black) Dutch minister for legal protection, Franciscus Max "Franc" Weerwind, is unacceptable for the Surinamese administration to deliver the right apologies to the Surinamese people, only a 'White person' who represents the white descendants of the slave owners is acceptable for the Afro-Caribbean people of Suriname. Roozer said that he thinks about a Johan Remkes (1951) type of person. Johannes Wijnandus "Johan" Remkes (born 15 June 1951) is a Dutch politician and nonprofit director who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 2002 to 2003 under Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. He is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Remkes remained in active politics, in June 2010 he was nominated as the next Kings's Commissioner of North Holland serving from 1 July 2010 until 1 January 2019. He also served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (Parliamentary Reform Commission, Council for Public Administration, Advisory Council for Spatial Planning and the Van Thijn Commission). After his retirement Remkes occupies numerous seats as a corporate director and nonprofit director for supervisory boards in the business and industry world and several international non-governmental organizations and research institutes.


Johannes Wijnandus "Johan" Remkes (born 15 June 1951), former Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Second Balkenende cabinet.

There were also complaints that the government involved these groups too little in the plans and that it was too one-sided. In addition, the delegation of Minister Franc Weerwind (Legal Protection) to Suriname to speak on behalf of the Netherlands was wrong, because Weerwind himself is a descendant of enslaved people. Others demanded that the apology be pronounced by King Willem-Alexander.


Franciscus Max "Franc" Weerwind (born 22 September 1964) is a Dutch politician of the centrist social liberal Democrats 66 (D66) party who has been serving as minister for legal protection in the cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Rutte since 10 January 2022.

The cabinet also announced today that Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag will travel to Suriname on Thursday to smooth out the folds there as well.

Today, just like last week, talks took place all day at the Catshuis between the Dutch government and interest groups. Sigrid Kaag led these talks today because Prime Minister Rutte was unable to attend. Afterwards she spoke of 'intensive, but valuable' conversations.


Sigrid Agnes Maria Kaag (born 2 November 1961) is a Dutch diplomat and politician, serving as Minister of Finance and First Deputy Prime Minister in the Fourth Rutte cabinet

'Maladministration'


Attorney Joancy Breeveld and Glenn Codfried in court for summary proceedings. Surinamese foundations in the Netherlands have filed summary proceedings over December 19, the day on which, according to sources, the Dutch cabinet will apologize for the slavery past. image ANP, Remko de Waal

Lawyer Joancy Breeveld was also present, but remains of the opinion that the date should be changed. "Excuses must take place on July 1 so that we can work towards it. It is not clear at the moment that we know exactly what the apologies are for." She plans to continue the lawsuit. "We feel called upon to stand up for our descendants."

Glenn Codfried, who also wants to enforce a postponement of the apology through the courts, sees an 'inappropriate way of governing'. He hopes the government will reconsider. According to him, the government wants to hurry, because otherwise the support for apologies in society may decrease. However, he considers this to be a 'non-argument'. How the majority thinks 'I don't care', says the presenter of a (Black) Surinamese radio station in Amsterdam. "A majority doesn't have to be right, it's about justice."

Source; www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/5353093/tweede-kamer-kribbig-over-financiele-eisen-slavernijdiscussie (translated by Pieter in Google translate)

[pieter]

Racism is a power structure based on the idea that white people are ranked at the top of the pyramid, above black people and people of colour. Racism is fundamental to colonialism. So it also existed in the Dutch colonial empire in South Africa, Indonesia, Ghana, Suriname and the Dutch Antilles.

[pieter]

www.tropenmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/our-colonial-inheritance/racism-exists-not-race

[pieter]

Colonialism is not a thing of the past. It has shaped the world: our physical, mental and personal world. Colonialism lives on to this day. In the exhibition 'Our Colonial Inheritance', we look at the Dutch colonial history and presence, in Indonesia, Suriname, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and many other countries. You will not get to see and hear the 'known' history, there is more to see and learn.

The exhibition shows how colonialism shaped the world of today, and how people endured colonialism. Learn how people tried to create their own lives, rebelled and remained in charge. Are you open to a multivoiced perspective?

www.tropenmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/our-colonial-inheritance

[pieter]

[pieter]

[pieter]

www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/12/dutch-foreign-affairs-ministry-riddled-with-racism-exclusion-report/

[pieter]

The history of the Netherlands has some very dark sides and one of these was the Dutch participation in the transatlantic slave trade. Via the Triangular trade the Dutch shipped over half a million enslaved Africans to their colonies in the Americas. This was done by the Dutch West India Company (WIC). These slaves were put to work on plantations in Suriname and Curaçao (Dutch Antilles). In recent years the dark sides of the Dutch Golden Age are more elaborated on. History Hustle presents: Should the Netherlands Apologize for its History of Slavery?

[pieter]

Should the Netherlands Apologize for the Colonization of Indonesia? The Dutch East Indies has a long history. How did Indonesia got its independence? In 1799 the VOC went bankrupt. After the Napoleonic Wars and the British Invasion of Java (1811) the Dutch state took over its overseas possessions. From 1816 the Dutch East Indies was declared. It is here the history of the Dutch East Indies begins. The Dutch implemented indirect rule to govern the Dutch East Indies. Also the cultivation system (cultuurstelsel) was applied which came down to ruthless exploitation of Javanese farmers. Later this system was replaced. Over the course of the 19th century the Dutch undertook many bloody colonial wars to pacify the Indonesian archipelago. From 1900 the Dutch implemented the ethical policy (ethische politiek) to improve the welfare of the local population. In 1942 the Japanese conquest of the Dutch East Indies took place. Indonesia during WW II was under Japanese occupation. After Japan surrendered the Indonesian War of Independence (Politionele Acties) started. In 1949 the sovereignty transfer (soevereiniteitsoverdracht) took place. Indonesia thus became independent in 1949, although the Indonesians had declared themselves independent in 1945. History Hustle at Home presents: Should the Netherlands Apologize for the Colonization of Indonesia?

[pieter]

What do Dutch school children learn about the Dutch slave trade and Dutch colonialism? How is history education in the Netherlands shaped? The Dutch West India Company (WIC) was important in Dutch history. The WIC transported many African slaves across the Atlantic Ocean in the so-called transatlantic slave trade. In 1621 the Dutch West India Company (WIC – West-Indische Compagnie) was established and brought great wealth to the Dutch Republic. Yet, many people suffered. What is learned about this suffering? In the video a history teacher will tell you all about it. History Hustle at Home presents: Dutch History Education About the Dark History of the Netherlands: The Slave Trade.



What do Dutch school books tell us about the Dutch history of slave trade and the Dutch Golden Age? History Hustle presents: The Dark History of the Netherlands: What Dutch Pupils Learn About the Slave Trade | Part 2.

[karl]

Pieter

Perhaps myself am on the wrong book and wrong page, but I still have an opinion. At this time and place, I do not agree that the Dutch Cabinet should apologies for anything that is of the past and in this case, slavery. For this was conducted many years in past that now is history and needs be kept in that manner. For we now are our fathers' sons and daughters and hold no collective guilt of that respective past.

Karl

[Jaga]

I think it is good if they apologize. Just like Germans did with WW II and paid reparations. Japan never apologized for what they did. Dutch made their errors like each colony

[pieter]

Jaga and Karl,

I like both of your opinions, because that is what an open Forum like this is. I understand Karl's reasoning and agree with Jaga.
The consequences of colonialism, Dutch slave trade and Dutch slave plantations, racism and discrimination went on after slavery was
abolished. I think that in the Netherlands we know our past and the dark pages of that past and that we face that ugly past now.

Not only in Africa, Suriname and the Dutch Antilles, but also in Indonesia which were the Dutch East Indies (Nederlands Indië) before
1950 ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_Indies )

Cheers,
Pieter

[pieter]

[pieter]