: B7 q1 e9 O$ F* G' p/ ]$ ? 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。”# ]* r9 [8 C. V" e! f( t
' K3 p Q; S/ T1 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。” Q* k! j4 x8 R W# v2 j" l3 a8 D
: r) p8 {! l/ O 他指出，纪念日将提醒人们不要忘记残酷的奴隶贸易。1 x! N# h2 `* f2 c) c q8 X4 `
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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。 3 r/ t/ T8 z3 U1 C / c" O/ t" o4 R% _" s' B 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。2 s% O5 G- ]7 h0 N* n* ]" s2 x1 s% j
7 L: F! ^8 z i& z. {" l' ~ 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。 3 J8 N+ z% S& h8 p! O/ M- f& ^+ `" M; Z% M8 y( L4 O+ a6 g
Commemoration day to mark UK slave trade role0 Z% Y5 {" C2 }2 N: q
AN annual commemoration day will be held to recall Britain's role in the slave trade, deputy prime minister John Prescott said. " J2 v9 V m! C* f
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The news came as the Government today announced freed victims of human trafficking are to be granted the right to stay in Britain temporarily. ! X0 f( T: T% | E) k) b+ H9 F6 fMr 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. " `. A$ b' j: K' ~- S5 f* N) ` : C( Z. y3 z4 t% L7 Y, j' T T. `"Like the Holocaust, we are learning to talk about the slave trade openly and more honestly," he reportedly said. 3 n: v7 {8 c$ `- J* z6 v& F6 Z- ~' U# f9 c& b$ R. `0 R1 ~
"Tragic and terrible as it was, the slave trade defied anyone to discuss it because it was so horrendous." % D% t4 Q& t2 k, \0 X, n
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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. 5 K2 Q& }+ _* r" O. [# P3 R( X0 ]4 i$ ?
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.3 V; z8 {' X5 J) R# M' V# \) S
