THE HAGUE - The road to making apologies for the Dutch slavery past by the Rutte cabinet remains one full of inconvenience. In an apparent attempt to counter criticism of the approach, Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Hanke Bruins Slot, also on behalf of State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen, informed the Dutch House of Representatives about "the state of affairs of the government's response to the advisory report of the slavery past dialogue group."
Last week it was leaked that members of the cabinet will apologize in eight places in the Kingdom and Suriname on December 19. This surprised everyone involved because everyone assumed that this would happen on July 1, 2023 at the commemoration of 160 years of the abolition of slavery. Curaçao and Suriname criticized the haste and lack of coordination with organizations.
Moreover, the government's response to the recommendations of the Slavery History Dialogue Group, which is now almost a year and a half old, is still pending. In the letter to the House, Bruins Slot announces that this, in her own words, "interesting" response will be sent to the House on December 19.
The minister does not say whether apologies will be made: “On that day, the prime minister will deliver a public message on behalf of the government. Subsequently, during follow-up meetings in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and in Suriname, members of the cabinet will discuss the cabinet response in more detail with those involved,” said Bruins Slot.