SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Dozens of well-known leaders in Jamaica, including professors and politicians, are demanding an apology and compensation for slavery as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge prepare for a trip to the former British colony.
The group dismisses Prince William and Kate’s planned visit for Tuesday, which is part of a larger trip to the Caribbean coinciding with the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence and the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
“We see no reason to celebrate the 70th anniversary of your grandmother’s accession to the British throne, because her leadership and that of her predecessors perpetuated the greatest human rights tragedy in human history,” read a letter released Sunday before Visit of the couple and signed by 100 Jamaican leaders.
The week-long royal tour of Central America and the Caribbean, which kicked off Saturday, was undertaken at the behest of the Queen, who is William’s grandmother. The trip is aimed at strengthening Britain’s ties with Commonwealth countries, but it got off to a rocky start and comes as some countries consider severing ties with the monarchy, as the eastern Caribbean island of Barbados did in November.
Local opposition forced the royal couple to cancel a visit to a cocoa farm in Belize scheduled for Saturday, while the upcoming trip to Jamaica has angered some who say they are still waiting for an apology and redress for slavery.
Jamaican lawmaker Mike Henry, who has long sought reparations he estimates at more than £7billion, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that an apology was only the first step to what he described as “abuse of human lives” and work.”
“An apology really admits that there is guilt,” he said.
Hundreds of thousands of African slaves toiled in Jamaica under more than 300 years of British rule and faced brutal conditions. There have been numerous bloody rebellions, with a woman known as the “Queen Nanny” leading a group of formerly enslaved Africans known as the Jamaican Maroons, whose guerrilla warfare became famous and defeated British forces. “Queen Nanny” remains the only female of Jamaica’s eight national heroes.
During their two-day stay in Jamaica, Prince William and Kate are set to celebrate Bob Marley’s legacy, a move that has also angered some Jamaicans.
“As a Rastafarian, Bob Marley embodied advocacy and is recognized around the world for the principles of human rights, equality, reparation and repatriation,” read the letter from those seeking an apology.
The group said they were celebrating 60 years of freedom from Britain, adding that they were sad “that no further progress has been made given the burden of our colonial legacy. Nonetheless, we celebrate the many achievements of great Jamaicans who rejected negative, colonial self-concepts and confidently prospered against tremendous odds. We will also remember and celebrate our freedom fighters.”