Dutch King Willem Alexander has apologized for his country's historic involvement in slavery and its ongoing repercussions.
 
The Netherlands on 1st July 2023, Saturday begins an official event to mark 150 years since the end of slavery in Dutch colonies. The king issued his apology during a speech marking the event.  Thousands of descendants from the former Dutch colony of Suriname and the Dutch overseas territories of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are attending celebrations in Amsterdam. 

Beginning in the 17th Century, the Netherlands grew into one of Europe's major colonial powers and was responsible for about 5 percent of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Some 6,00,000 slaves were transported from Africa to colonies in the Americas, and many Javanese and Balinese people were enslaved and taken to South Africa under Dutch colonial rule. 

The Netherlands officially abolished slavery on 1st July 1863.