Jakarta –
City Amsterdam in the Netherlands became the first city to apologize for the slave trade in the colonial era in the past. The apology was also addressed to Indonesia.
The apology was delivered directly by the Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema. He apologized that Amsterdam was actively involved in the colonial past.
“On behalf of this city, I apologize for the active involvement of the Amsterdam city council in the commercial system of colonial slavery and global human trafficking that led to slavery,” Femke Halsema said, as reported by the press. AFP, Friday (2/7).
As is known, the Dutch had colonized Indonesia for more than 3.5 centuries. After Indonesia proclaimed independence, there was still war with the Dutch in a moment commonly referred to as Military Aggression I and II.
At the height of the colonial empire, the United Provinces, now known as the Netherlands, had colonial territories such as Suriname, the Caribbean Island of Curacao, South Africa and Indonesia, where the Dutch East India Company was headquartered in the 17th century.
In the Netherlands, as in other European countries, the debate over the past of colonialism and the role in slavery has emerged after the Black Lives Matter movement emerged in the United States (US).
“It is time to integrate the great injustice of colonial slavery into the identity of our city,” Halsema said in a speech commemorating the abolition of slavery on July 1, 1863 in Suriname and the Caribbean, which became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Halsema called the province of Holland, which includes Amsterdam, a ‘major player in the trade and exploitation of slaves’. He added that in the 18th century about ’40 percent of economic growth came from slavery’.
“And in Amsterdam, almost everyone earns money thanks to the colony of Suriname,” he said, citing the City Council, who is the co-owner and co-administrator of the colony.
King of the Netherlands apologizes for the violence that occurred after the proclamation
Before Femke Halsema apologized on behalf of Amsterdam, Dutch King Willem Alexander had already apologized to Indonesia for the violence during the colonial period, but for the violence that occurred after the proclamation. This was stated by Willem when he visited Indonesia and met President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
“In the years following the announcement of the Proclamation, there was a painful separation and resulted in many casualties. In line with the statements of my previous administration, I would like to express my regrets and apologies for the excessive violence on the part of the Dutch in those years,” he said. King Willem at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Tuesday (10/3/2020).
“I do this with full awareness that the pain and sorrow for the affected families is still being felt today,” added King Willem.
It is known, Amsterdam became the first city in the Netherlands to submit an apology. This move could be followed by the city of Rotterdam, Utrecht and the administrative capital The Hague, which are also debating the same issue.
At the national level, the Netherlands has not officially apologized for its role in slavery in the past.
Prime Minister (PM) Mark Rutte, who is about to end his term in office, has previously called the period of slavery too far back and debate over an apology will fuel tensions.
(zap/aik)
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