King Charles acknowledges Commonwealth's 'painful' history with slavery

Representatives from 56 countries, most of them former territories of the British Empire, are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that opens in Samoa on October 21, with slavery and the threat of climate change as key topics.

Speaking at the conference on 25 October, King Charles said: "Listening to people across the Commonwealth, I understand that the most painful aspects of our past still live on. It is therefore important that we understand our history in order to make the right choices for the future."

Former colonial powers such as the United Kingdom have long been called upon to pay reparations or compensation for slavery and its impact to this day. This demand has spread around the world , particularly within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union.

Opponents of reparations argue that states should not be held accountable for historical wrongs, while supporters argue that the legacy of slavery has led to widespread and persistent racial inequality.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected calls for reparations and ruled out an apology for the country's historical role, but said he was ready to work with leaders who wanted to discuss the issue.

The Guardian quoted a source in Mr Starmer’s office as saying the prime minister had “opened the door to non-financial compensation”, such as restructuring financial institutions and writing off debts. There are many different types of compensation, from financial payments and apologies to technology transfers and education programmes.

From the 15th to the 19th centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported by European ships and traders, then sold into slavery.

Those who survived the brutal voyage were forced to toil on plantations in inhumane conditions in the Americas, while others profited from their labor.

"We cannot erase the painful history that has brought us together and sat together as equals for 75 years," Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, a British diplomat and lawyer born in Dominica, told the conference.

Hoai Phuong (according to Reuters)