Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs was the only minister present during Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday.
PHILIPSBURG--Discussion on the subject of reparations was missing from King Willem Alexander’s apology on July 1, Prime Minister Silveira Jacobs said on Wednesday.
In his apology, the king acknowledged that slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade constituted a crime against humanity.
“I think for the persons who are interested, who demanded that the king also apologize, they got their apology. What, for me, was still missing was the discussion on reparations,” Jacobs said on Wednesday when asked for her reaction to the apology.
The prime minister said she did not send a response to the King's apology as this was not required. She reminded that the professional from CARICOM’s Reparations Committee had indicated that an apology from the highest member of state, which had been Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s, was deemed sufficient.
“Others demanded and the king himself felt the need to add his apology. He said it touched his heart. He understands that his family has benefitted [from slavery] and he will continue to do the research as to how much… etc. and we look forward to hearing what the reparations will be. That is still the stance of St. Maarten for sure regardless of not having a final decision of recommendation from the [St. Maarten Slavery, Atonement and Reparations] Committee We 100% agree that reparations must be paid and we acknowledge that now we have more access to funding via the Dutch government that wasn’t there before, not even up to last year, that does not equate reparations.”
Jacobs said what was interesting to her was the highlight that many Dutch citizens are not aware of the true history of how they achieved the golden era that they were taught in school. “And so, I believe that there is at least a commitment, at least by the king, to ensure that the Dutch people in the Netherlands... the indigenous European Dutch would understand the true history as well, which for me would build true empathy to the plight of the descendants of the enslaved, which we are, whether we are in the Netherlands or whether we are here.”
Jacobs said what is important for her is what comes “after the comma,” to “ensure that in all our actions so including our regular meetings that the Dutch government keeps in mind the things they have apologized for and that we are treated with equality and that the vestiges of colonialism that are still present are erased one by one.”
She had a word of encouragement. “I encourage my colleagues to highlight, when you are in discussions with persons who do not realise that their approach or the words that they use or the manner in which they deal with the Dutch Caribbean countries is sometimes still condescending and sometimes still remind us of our place – that’s how they saw us basically and they do not see that it was discriminatory. So, what was reassuring is that even though some persons in the Netherlands did not see the necessity for an apology, they believe in equality. They believe in equal human rights and that we are all human just as was intended by the Creator and so hopefully in all future deliberations and in all further negotiations that will be at the forefront and the manner in which we are dealt with will be with respect and in a manner of equitable treatment.”
