在《废除奴隶贸易法案》通过200周年纪念日前夕，英国政府23日提议，为这一事件设立固定的纪念日，但仍拒绝就英国当年的奴隶贸易行径正式道歉。' n' g1 ?! y4 K7 g
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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。 * x8 D7 T j2 W. i" S; X- A( C3 X: U V# a
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。”: [+ {' ]% \, f: e$ P
6 O/ _& n# m" Z' F+ I% @ 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。” , a0 E% J0 w! j ; i. \5 T x. n4 b# |) e2 i 他指出，纪念日将提醒人们不要忘记残酷的奴隶贸易。 ) M: i2 e0 E4 b: T/ a 0 i2 L; H6 R+ w( `( R 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。3 {4 a% ]' V9 L5 U: p/ v/ J/ H
3 U/ s/ u4 }& dCommemoration day to mark UK slave trade role # Q: C9 _/ @- nAN annual commemoration day will be held to recall Britain's role in the slave trade, deputy prime minister John Prescott said. % f- Q! `) B: H% c( m2 E
: ?! n- p) Z! `3 p9 P9 b0 z% RThe news came as the Government today announced freed victims of human trafficking are to be granted the right to stay in Britain temporarily. ; J: z6 x! n) h2 |2 j) g1 W+ D% Z5 F# l# F
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. / p% A; v0 g" ?
# z" r6 X) v0 V& R5 s7 j. Y; A"Like the Holocaust, we are learning to talk about the slave trade openly and more honestly," he reportedly said. ( c5 n; s, Z! |' g" j" a
& X5 T8 |9 u w3 A x"Tragic and terrible as it was, the slave trade defied anyone to discuss it because it was so horrendous." + i; [/ p+ X/ g# J& k& _7 }/ S! K/ i: [* [1 x3 Y' Q" z/ W
The Home Office was today set to announce plans to sign the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. 6 t) S& V) `9 N4 j/ ~& U5 }
: D/ a; `# m2 H( {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. % ^2 R8 Z9 _ h" W" z& A4 G5 c) B7 e4 O ! H2 k" Z1 H# u; J/ r6 i9 OThis article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=448812007
