Dear Editor,
At the break of dawn yesterday, the BBC in its global podcast announced that the Government of the Netherlands (Dutch) made a public apology for their role in the slave trade and slavery. The report specifically referred to Surinam and Aruba. The impression I get is that the Dutch authorities or those making the report seemed to have ignored or do not realize that the Dutch engineered slavery for centuries here in Guyana. The uprising of 1763 led by Cuffy and others was against the brutality of Dutch engineered slavery. In 1812, as a result of the European contortions, the British took over this territory and for over two generations continued the practice of slavery. I have discussed this matter with Mr. Eric Phillips, Head ACDA, and he along with Sir Hillary Beckles and others proposed to take this matter up at the appropriate level.
The mechanisms for Reparation, I have no doubt would be tedious, but swift and I hope that our Government would say something on this matter. One of the issues that should be promoted would be the Government’s active involvement and support on the issue of giving African ancestral lands legal substance. No less significant than the exercise to ensure that the indigenous people, our Amerindian Brothers have some control and say in the use of their lands. For me, I have argued earlier that the sums which the former enslavers will now make available should be utilized in specific areas of education and the development of those ancestral lands.
Now that the Netherlands have taken the lead I look forward anxiously to the British, not only taking the noble step to apologize, but to ensure that the Descendants of the Manumitted Africans are allowed a fair share of the national cake. I hope that this statement by the Dutch would allow our educational system to inform all Guyanese, in and out of school, that slave labour was in part responsible for the rapid development of Europe and that the issue of reparation must be a priority.
Sincerely,
Hamilton Green
Elder
