Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- [Britain was the biggest and baddest Empire that ever stalked the Earth so if Tony Blair wont apologise for slavery then I will in his stead... Bill] [Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] [Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: Bronwyn Penn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: mobalize-globally <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, September 03, 2001 9:54 PM Subject: [mobilize-globally] BRITAIN WILL NOT APOLOGISE FOR SLAVERY: PM'S OFFICE RACISM-LD-BRITAIN LONDON Sept 3 Sapa-AFP BRITAIN WILL NOT APOLOGISE FOR SLAVERY: PM'S OFFICE Britain on Monday stood by its refusal to apologise for its part in the transatlantic slave trade at a highly charged UN racism summit, a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said. "This is an agreed EU position, which was agreed at the (EU foreign ministers') general affairs council in July," the spokesman said. "That position is that slavery has to be condemned in the present and regretted in the past. "It would not be sensible for governments to accept responsibility for the actions of governments so long ago. What is important is what we do in the present," he said. Spain, Portugal and The Netherlands are believed to be in sympathy with British fears that an apology would add legal momentum to demands that those countries which traded in slaves pay reparations. European officials have been working on the basis of draft wording on slavery agreed by foreign ministers in July. "The European Union profoundly deplores the human suffering, individual and collective, caused by slavery and the slave trade. "They are among the most dishonourable and abhorrent chapters in the history of humanity. The EU condemns these practices in the past and the present, and regrets the suffering they have caused," the draft said. African countries felt the proposed statement did not go nearly far enough and called for a full apology and acceptance that slavery was a crime against humanity. Senior African-American campaigner, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, said the failure to apologise indicated that these countries were proud of their colonial past. "If you don't feel apologetic for slavery, if you don't feel apologetic for colonialism, if you feel proud of it, then say that," he told the BBC. "But if one has a sincere desire to overcome the ravages of the past it doesn't take much to apologise and move towards some plan for restoration." Belgium, which currently holds the EU presidency, is pushing hard for a move closer to African demands for an apology. Divisions on the slavery issue come as the Israeli delegation at the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, deliberates over whether to pull out of the talks, after a pro-Palestinian delegation accused Israel of "genocide and ethnic cleansing." On Sunday, a forum of non-governmental organisations taking place on the sidelines of the UN meeting adopted resolutions condemning Israel for genocide, and as an apartheid state. Delegates have four days to work out their differences before the conference closes on Friday. Sapa-AFP ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Get your FREE credit report with a FREE CreditCheck Monitoring Service trial http://us.click.yahoo.com/MDsVHB/bQ8CAA/ySSFAA/XgSolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
