Dutch king apologises for country's role in slave-trading

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has apologised for the country's role in the slave trade and slavery in the past.

He made the apology in Amsterdam on July 1, NBC News reports.

Addressing a gathering at Oosterpark, he apologised for his ancestors' failure to oppose that system in their day.
In an emotional speech, Willem-Alexander referred back to that apology as he told a crowd of invited guests and onlookers: “Today I stand before you. Today, as your King and as a member of the government, I make this apology myself. And I feel the weight of the words in my heart and my soul.”

July 1 marks the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the former Dutch colonies in the Netherlands. To mark the occasion, various events are planned throughout the year in the country and its former colonies to raise public awareness of the slavery-related past.

During his speech, Willem-Alexander stressed that slavery was a crime against humanity.

"Of all the forms of enslavement, slavery is the most offensive and degrading. The terrible consequences of the slavery past can still be seen today. We still feel it, for example, through racism," he said.

About six months ago, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologised for the slavery-related past on behalf of the government. The descendants of slaves attach great symbolic importance to the fact that Willem-Alexander also followed suit. His speech was broadcast live, including in Suriname and the islands in the Caribbean Sea which used to be Dutch colonies.