THE HAGUE - There is no question of reparations for the Dutch slavery past, said Prime Minister Mark Rutte after the Council of Ministers in which the government's response to the report 'Chains of the past' by the Dialogue Group Slavery Past was determined.
What the government does with the recommendations from the report, Rutte will announce on Monday in a "meaningful" statement that can be followed via a live stream in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and Suriname. At the same time, the government's response will be sent to the Dutch House of Representatives.
Rutte did not want to say anything about the content of his statement and will state his country’s apology on Monday. In response to questions from parliamentary reporters, he emphasized that the reparations demanded by some Surinamese and Caribbean organizations will not be made.
The prime minister is not surprised about the fuss that has arisen about whether or not to apologize on December 19. He had expected "the wealth of richly varied views" and said he welcomed the fact that there is intensive discussion.