Confession and apology statement
concerning historical behaviour of the Dutch in Sri Lanka

Introduction
This document contains the confession and apologizing for sins committed by the Dutch in Sri Lanka, made on behalf of Foursquare Netherlands and the Dutch Reconciliation Coalition (VCN), at the national Sri Lanka Foursquare Conference 2008 in Colombo

Apology statement presented at the national Sri Lanka Foursquare Conference 20-8-2008 in Colombo.
Today I have come to your meeting to humbly present a formal, but truly heartfelt, apology concerning the mistakes we, the Dutch, have historically made against your country.
From 1658 until 1802 the Dutch VOC committed gross sins against the nation of Sri Lanka. The VOC was supported by the Republic of the Netherlands, but acted against the conscience and warnings of many Dutch political and spiritual leaders. These sins do by no means out weigh the good things contributed by the Dutch to this country. The main categories of sins, we currently are aware of, are:

1. Greed and betrayal.
   The Dutch were invited by the King of Kandy to help him remove the Portuguese occupation. They offered help but not motivated by anything else than to take the position of the Portuguese and to gain control and monopoly of the spice and elephant trade in Sri Lanka. In later stage war was waged against the King of Kandy to control the entire island.
   With this behaviour we violated the rights and dignity of the indigenous people and their leadership and resources, and violated agreements and treaties with them. This was all motivated by greed, solely to make profit and economical gain. This has caused suffering and prolonged ethnic and religious hate in Sri Lankan history.

2. Bringing the gospel, motivated by gain and power
   The Dutch used their political and economical power to bring the Dutch protestant church to Sri Lanka, as part of their control strategy. The VOC took control of catholic churches and schools founded by the Portuguese and forced them into Protestantism, using political power and even force. Also slaves and labourers where forced to become protestant believers, not motivated by love and respect, but superiority and control. By this values where modelled that has caused religious intolerance, hate and the right to force religion on individuals based on political, military, and economical power, violating the free will and the right to worship in freedom and evangelizing people motivated by love, respect and compassion. By this also the European model of church --church as organization, and mixing state and church-- was introduced and enforced in your nation, clouding the concept of church as the spiritual Body of Christ.

3. Slave trade
   The Dutch have imported and exported thousands of people as workers and slaves to and from Sri Lanka, in order to maximize the production and trade of spices and other goods and for making profit. Hereby human dignity and freedom rights were violated deeply. This caused also disturbance of heritage, customs, and historical rights of people groups, thus causing ethnical tensions and hate.

Asking Forgiveness
(Representing the church and (as citizen) the nation of the Netherlands)) As a spiritual leader in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on behalf of Foursquare Netherlands and of the Dutch Reconciliation Coalition (VCN), supported by the Dutch prayer movement, today I acknowledge and confess to God and to you that we as church and as nation have committed these sins against your nation. We are deeply sorry for our behaviour and for the effects that brought to your nation. With appeal to the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross we ask for forgiveness to God and to you.

On behalf of Foursquare Sri Lanka, and the Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka and representing the nation as a citizen of this nation. We want to extend our forgiveness, our love and our blessings. Prophetic action backed up by intercessory prayer can change the destiny of a nation. What you have done today is of historical significance and of spiritual significance to our nation. It is also of political significance of our country. It may seem something small in the human eye, but it is as a little pebble thrown into a big pond, and it will cause a ripple effect. And it will cause to influence abroad and what we do today will influence the whole nation and will break into the demonic strongholds like hatred, and bloodshed and bring a blessing of God. I want to express that I deeply appreciate what you have done today, thank you for your obedience and humility before us and the Lord. I want to pray for you and ask you to pray a blessing on us.

Prayer Leslie:
Lord we want to thank you for the obedience and humility of your servant pastor Piet. Father we want to thank you for this very historical spiritual and powerful moment right now. The identificational repentance that he has done on behalf of his forefathers, Lord we honour and thank you for it. We pray the release of the spirit of love, forgiveness, and reconstruction and we pray bless him and his leadership and the church of Holland and even the church that they started here and we thank you for this prophetic action. Lord as your servant and with the authority you have given me Lord I speak Lord, I commission this prophetic action, that it will flow as river across this nation now and let it grow and Lord bring revival and healing and transformation upon our land I pray.
We proclaim that this little action will bring the Goliath down and Lord we thank you for the stronghold that has be a Goliath over our nation is down and we thank you for this prophetic action we have done in the name of Jesus Christ and we thank you.
Thank you Lord that foundation of evil has been broken and that heavens and heaven is open we thank you for it.

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