Keti Koti

Keti Koti (Sranantongo: "the chain is cut" or "the chain is broken")[1][2] is an annual celebration on 1 July that marks Emancipation Day in Suriname. The day is also known as Manspasi Dei or Prisiri Manspasi, meaning "Emancipation" or "Emancipation Festival".[3]

Kwakoe statue in Paramaribo, representing a former slave whose chains are cut

Keti Koti marks the date when slavery was abolished in Suriname in 1863. However, enslaved people in Suriname would not be fully free until 1873, after a mandatory 10-year transition period during which time they were required to work on the plantations for minimal pay and with state sanctioned force: if they were discovered outside without a pass, they could be jailed.[4]

After 1873 many slaves left the plantations where they had suffered for several generations, in favor of the city of Paramaribo. The former slave owners were compensated. For the 32,911 released slaves in Suriname, an amount of ƒ 9,867,780.00 (In 2020 about € 250 million) was paid to the owners.[5]

As of 2009 several cities in the Netherlands hosted various activities, making this day a day of national celebration and remembrance throughout the country.[5] The Keti Koti festival[6] marks the date when slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Dutch Antilles in 1863. The festival organisation also aims to pressure the Dutch government for reparations and research. As of 2020, it is still unclear when the first slaves arrived.[5]

References
  1. van Stipriaan, Alex (2006). "Between Diaspora TransNationalism and American Globalization A History of AfroSurinamese Emancipation Day". In Gowricharn, Ruben S. (ed.). Caribbean Transnationalism: Migration, Pluralization, and Social Cohesion. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780739113974.
  2. SIL, Languages of Surinam, Sranan-Nederlands Woordenboek
  3. Fat, Paul B. Tjon Sie (2009). Chinese New Migrants in Suriname: The Inevitability of Ethnic Performing. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 9789056295981.
  4. "Afschaffing van de slavernij? In Suriname ging het nog tien jaar voort". De Correspondent (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  5. "1 juli 1863: De dag van het grote bedrog". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  6. "Keti Koti 2020". Tech Enayet. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
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