% w8 v# V9 I7 H8 m1 O& |$ E% w" P 他指出，纪念日将提醒人们不要忘记残酷的奴隶贸易。7 ?7 Q' M5 u/ l' u* g {
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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。- I' U0 b% K8 R% }7 ?' y
0 N1 _! T |0 X: 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 c& P0 J% B4 h
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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。( ~6 W- }$ F2 Z, S) X
6 W: I5 \: ^* n# d$ R3 jCommemoration day to mark UK slave trade role ) A. c8 s! b- \8 c; y4 RAN annual commemoration day will be held to recall Britain's role in the slave trade, deputy prime minister John Prescott said. 6 u, L; ?0 E2 h2 s+ |% |. } , s* `1 `: A0 ?, J. ~" g+ r, H7 CThe news came as the Government today announced freed victims of human trafficking are to be granted the right to stay in Britain temporarily. & t( p( G) U* |; \; i0 O4 R& x
K7 L7 J+ c# n( X3 l6 U% iMr 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. 5 w, C, F8 M7 J$ z4 |; ~ 5 X! v% ]2 `7 ["Like the Holocaust, we are learning to talk about the slave trade openly and more honestly," he reportedly said. v0 f. x9 q L" z: k! e1 |# q$ @. D+ _/ P( D$ \
"Tragic and terrible as it was, the slave trade defied anyone to discuss it because it was so horrendous." 1 H1 `7 t1 ?# d. Z( N* E! q
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The Home Office was today set to announce plans to sign the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. 0 h6 u& ?1 N8 q: A* K- ~) I7 V ) B: R0 n- `5 |) |' j0 U1 ZThe 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. G' {# c5 I6 _
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This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=448812007
