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PM Jacobs said Sint Maarten could neither accept nor reject the Dutch slavery apology in December 2022
Responding to the Dutch government’s apology for slavery on 19 December 2022, Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs called it abrupt and forced and said Sint Maarten was not yet at the stage to accept or reject it.
By SXM Daily ·
Reported 19 December 2022.
Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs responded to the Dutch government's apology for slavery on 19 December 2022 by inviting open dialogue on what she called an "abrupt and forced apology", according to the text of her speech published by the Dutch government's Caribbean office.
Neither accepted nor rejected
Jacobs said Sint Maarten was not at the stage where it could either accept or deny the apology. She said the Dutch Caribbean countries had repeatedly asked for proper dialogue before an apology was made, and that the timing had been set by the Netherlands.
Reparations
In the speech, Jacobs said her government was setting up an advisory committee on the slavery past, atonement and reparations. She also said financial aid and loans from the Netherlands could never be counted as part of any reparations.
For background on emancipation on the island, see our page on Emancipation and the abolition of slavery on Saint Martin.
Sources
- https://english.rijksdienstcn.com/documents/2022/12/19/speech-silveria-jacobs
- https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2022/12/19/premier-sint-maarten-excuses-moeten-inhoud-hebben-a4151966
Source: https://english.rijksdienstcn.com/documents/2022/12/19/speech-silveria-jacobs