The power of an apology

The Dutch King Willem-Alexander last Saturday apologised for his country’s historic role in slavery which he admitted that it has effects even today.  The king marked the 160th anniversary of the legal abolition of slavery in the Netherlands, including its former colonies in the Caribbean. 

“On this day that we remember the Dutch history of slavery, I ask forgiveness for this crime against humanity,” he said, adding that racism in Dutch society remains a problem and not everyone would support his apology. 

The Dutch monarch’s public apology comes amidst a growing call from former colonies of European nations to acknowledge the harm the former had caused due to their expansionist policies throughout history.  The Dutch and the German governments have so far acknowledged their respective countries’ roles in slavery and numerous other colonial crimes. The German Government has agreed upon reparations scheme with Namibia, its former colony German Southwest Africa, where it carried out what is now an acknowledged genocide.  The French Government has moved towards returning some artefacts and culturally significant items pillaged from its West African colonies. 

Mostly silent in this discussion is Sri Lanka’s former coloniser, the United Kingdom. The country sanctioned slavery under several companies that were established with Royal charter. Most of the profits of salivary went back into the royal coffers which are enjoyed by their descendants including King Charles. 

After abolishing slavery in 1833 the UK Government agreed a generous compensation package to slave-owners for the loss of their ‘property’ which was paid through taxpayer money until the 21st century. The harm done through other colonial crimes are even worse. Rather than address these crimes and acknowledge the harm the UK Government has even refused to engage in a dialogue. The calls for reparations for slavery from mostly Caribbean States have been shunned. Even token gestures such as returning looted possessions of its former colonies have been refused. 

While the lack of accountability, sensitivity and moral integrity by Sri Lanka’s former colonial occupier leaves much room for criticism, especially in the wake of other European nations finally acknowledging their historical wrongs, it is also moment to reflect on the Sri Lankan State’s omissions and lack of remorse for numerous crimes committed against its own people. 

 Irrespective of four centuries of colonial occupation, no outsider had done more harm to Sri Lankans than its own State. It has subjected over 100,000 citizens to enforced disappearance, extrajudicial killings and countless other atrocities. The State has either orchestrated or watched over countless pogroms carried out against minorities. It has provided impunity for the killing of journalists, activists and political opponents and failed to deliver justice for the victims. 

The only instance that there was even an attempt at an apology was in 2004 when then President Channdrika Kumaratunge apologised in an address to the nation over the crimes committed during the 1983 Tamil pogrom. While significant it was hardly sufficient, primarily due to the fact she was not using any political capital to apologise for a crime committed by a rival regime.

At a time when a disingenuous attempt is being made to create yet another commission, this time on truth and reconciliation to appease the international community, the Government if genuinely interested in such a process can start with issuing a genuine apology to all its people, and the minorities in particular who have been wronged by the State for decades and denied justice for crimes committed by the State. This would be a good starting point for any reconciliation process.