According to the AFP news agency, an apology has come from the Netherlands a hundred and a half years after the official end of the tradition of slavery.
Prime Minister Mark Ruta called the tradition of slavery a "crime against humanity" in his speech and said: "Today, on behalf of the Dutch government, I apologize for the previous activities of the Dutch state."
The Dutch state has a long history of bondage and illegal exploitation, with 600,000 slaves sent from Africa to settlements in South America and the Caribbean in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Prime Minister Mark Ruta added: "The responsibility of the enslaved people and their ancestors to endure great suffering belongs to the Dutch state."
Ministers from the Netherlands visited all the colonies that the Dutch state ruled for 250 years to ask for an official apology.
Ministers visited the seven colonies to be established in South America and the Caribbean and openly condemned the practices of slavery.
The Dutch government has announced that it will spend 212 million dollars on social activities and has decided to hold commemorative events starting next year.
Dutch colonial Suriname will also celebrate 150 years of freedom from slavery, known locally as 'Kiti Koti', which means 'Breaking the Chains'.
However, the Dutch government has been criticized for carrying out all these projects unilaterally without consulting the countries concerned, showing their colonial attitude.
While the Dutch Prime Minister also said in his speech that choosing the right occasion to apologize for past actions is a "complicated matter".
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