Blair 'sorry' for slave trade
2006-11-27 14:57
London - British Prime Minister Tony Blair voiced "deep sorrow" on Monday for the country's historic role in the slave trade, but stopped short of a full apology sought by some critics.
Writing in a newspaper which serves Britain's African and Caribbean community, Blair expressed regret for Britain's involvement nearly 200 years on from the legislation which led to the abolition of the trade.
"It is hard to believe what would now be a crime against humanity was legal at the time," he wrote, in comments which drew a cautious welcome from the newspaper.
"I believe the bicentenary offers us a chance not just to say how profoundly shameful the slave trade was - how we condemn its existence utterly and praise those who fought for its abolition - but also to express our deep sorrow that it ever could have happened and rejoice at the better times we live in today."
British merchants are believed to have transported nearly three million black Africans across the North Atlantic Ocean between 1700 and the early 19th century.
Blair's comments take him further than any previous leader in seeking to distance himself from the actions of the British empire, according to the Observer newspaper, which trailed the interview on Sunday.
However, some critics said Blair was not going far enough.
"It's adding insult to the lingering injuries of the enslavement of African people by the European ruling classes," said Kofi Mawuli Klu, the joint leader of the Rendezvous of Victory movement.
"It's totally unacceptable. The message is that if you commit crimes against African people you cannot be held responsible: even when you acknowledge that you have done wrong, you do not feel it necessary to apologise but make only a token gesture," he told The Observer.