( ]. O# A9 p- E% i* C 英国副首相约翰·普雷斯科特当天表示，将设立固定的纪念日，让公众记住英国在奴隶贸易中的所作所为。他透露，纪念日将定在6月。 - r0 {2 C ? {% ]2 ^* L( _* h2 @9 j9 o* J* ?; m
普雷斯科特说：“就像讨论二战时期纳粹分子对犹太人的大屠杀一样，人们开始比较公开、诚实地面对奴隶贸易了。”0 \5 y1 y/ p9 l; L+ N
0 M) h- B0 {, W, h5 R' V3 { 他说：“知道英国在历史上参与过这些事情，让人感到震惊和恐怖，奴隶贸易是如此残酷……我们需要告诉人们历史真相，包括好的、不好的，还有恐怖的。” ' t6 f6 i; U4 [ W( L4 l, l( f5 p. E, b" u
他指出，纪念日将提醒人们不要忘记残酷的奴隶贸易。: [1 m' z1 R, D$ Y
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英国首相布莱尔21日曾表示，他对英国过去参与奴隶贸易感到抱歉，表示英国当时的做法“完全不可接受”。但英国政府迄今为止仍然拒绝就此正式道歉。! o. S5 n( B: A
& i6 q7 W! @$ t* V 历史学家估计，从1700年到19世纪初期，英国商人经由大西洋，从非洲贩卖了约300万名黑人奴隶。从1450年到1850年，欧洲国家共贩卖了约2100万名黑人奴隶，其中英国商人扮演了主要角色。9 U4 \! {2 k& `2 S# _5 Z
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1807年3月25日，英国通过《废除奴隶贸易法案》，规定英国船只上每发现一名奴隶，罚款100英镑(约合190美元)。1833年，英国通过《废除奴隶制法案》，宣布废除奴隶制度。 / g! Z0 `* ^) ~: { # T) O; T m, c7 q0 M9 q( {, K# m" OCommemoration day to mark UK slave trade role / y7 Y- G1 W+ X" a7 lAN annual commemoration day will be held to recall Britain's role in the slave trade, deputy prime minister John Prescott said. 7 E0 A2 `' x: w' v' `; ~2 L7 X. n
' U f9 C2 O2 D( j5 FThe news came as the Government today announced freed victims of human trafficking are to be granted the right to stay in Britain temporarily. * E7 f$ Q" O4 w$ @
; J9 b, k2 B! ?" b! x/ c/ L1 |Mr Prescott said that he expected the commemoration day to take place along with the rest of Europe in June to help counter modern-day human trafficking. , Q8 x- d9 w5 Z* W8 l
, I# y4 |+ E, z* U0 a8 D"Like the Holocaust, we are learning to talk about the slave trade openly and more honestly," he reportedly said. 6 V' z3 y& o7 s# @7 |) x5 | J+ B K( |" b
"Tragic and terrible as it was, the slave trade defied anyone to discuss it because it was so horrendous." . d# H/ t: K E$ J6 V% Z; g! g3 a! H
The Home Office was today set to announce plans to sign the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. 1 }1 M: o4 Y. w) ^& F! d5 B( B+ W' j* F+ V9 p* p7 ]
The agreement offers victims - such as women who are sold into the sex trade - the right to at least 30 days' grace after they have escaped people traffickers. # ^+ q4 m% H5 X' G; u. }/ h- ?! ~6 m* ]- \! A
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=448812007
