PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Nov 6, CMC – The Suriname Committee for the Reparation of Slavery Past (Committee) has presented a petition to the government and requesting a structured discussion on recognition, apologies, and reparation in the lead-up to the state visit of King of Netherlands Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
The royal couple are due here from December 1–3.
The petition was presented to acting President Gregory Rusland, who said that he “fully” understood the committee’s efforts and called the topic “of great importance” to the government.
He said he would discuss the petition with President Jennifer Greelings-Simons on her return from Brazil where she is attending the 30th United Nations climate conference (COP 30).
Rusalnd said that President Greelings-Simons is open to discussions with relevant organisations about their positions on recognition, reparation, and restoration.
The petition, supported by descendants of enslaved Africans and representatives of indigenous communities, notes that the settlement of the Dutch slavery case can no longer be postponed and the Committee wants a single, joint approach to material and immaterial damage, in line with the CARICOM Ten-Point Plan, and refers to international frameworks such as the UN Declaration of Durban (2001) and the Basic Principles on Reparation (UN, 2005).
The Committee says reparation is more than financial compensation, encompassing restitution, rehabilitation, truth-finding, guarantees of non-recurrence, and structural development of affected communities.
The signatories to the petition state that the recognition and apologies expressed in the Netherlands in recent years have not yet been followed by concrete reparations.
Chairman of the Committee, Armand Zunder, said the group is asking the government to ensure that representatives of descendants and indigenous peoples are included in the committee preparing for the royal visit.
Furthermore, the Committee requests an official meeting with the King during the visit to discuss possibilities for reparations, and a formal event in Suriname at which the King publicly reiterates the apology he issued in 2023.
According to the Committee, the royal visit is an “excellent opportunity” to formally open the discussion on reparations.
The petition notes that the participation of the affected communities is essential to make reparations “effective and adequate” and to strengthen trust.
The petition is the result of meetings on October 11 and November 1, this year, where the Committee said it has developed a reparations programme and made agreements to speak “with one voice” to stakeholders.
The petition points to previous apologies in the Netherlands, by the government there in 2022, followed a year later by the royal family, various municipalities, banks, and churches, noting however that these apologies were not followed by compensatory or structural measures for the descendants in Suriname.
According to the Committee states that “apologies without reparations” are insufficient and that follow-up actions are needed with a measurable impact on the lives of the communities involved.
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