Caribbean presses Britain for slavery reparations ahead of King Charles III's nine-day visit, Jamaica's claim referred to the UK's highest court of appeal for the island, Bahamas committee asks what the king is for

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Caribbean seeks reparations and questions role of monarchy before King Charles III visits independent.co.uk

Caribbean seeks reparations and questions role of monarchy before King Charles III visits – WTOP News wtop.com

King Charles III and Queen Camilla open a nine-day Caribbean tour in the Bahamas on Tuesday, the king's first official visit to the islands since July 1973, when as a prince he granted the Bahamas independence and ended 300 years of British rule. The Bahamas National Reparations Committee has described the reception that awaits: schools emptied of children who will stand in the sun and wave for a Crown "that has taken everything from their ancestors and comes back smiling."

Leaders across the region are demanding slavery reparations, a formal apology from Britain and greater independence from the former colonial power. The British government has consistently rejected the first two. Jamaica's reparations case, taken to Charles in early September, has since been referred to the United Kingdom's highest court of appeal for the island — a maneuver described as unprecedented. Niambi Hall Campbell-Dean, who chairs the Bahamas committee and teaches psychology at the University of the Bahamas, says her students were not excited when she mentioned the visit; her questions to them were why the islands still have a king, what he represents, and how the trip will benefit them.

Guyana's president, Irfaan Ali, whom Charles will meet later in the tour, told ITV News the king has "rightfully recognized slavery as the darkest days in human history" and that moving to the apology is the next step. "You exploited the region," Ali said. "You destroyed lives. You created underdevelopment." The itinerary runs through the region's ledger. In Guyana, Charles is scheduled to meet elected leaders of Amerindian villages known as toshaos; among those not invited is Nikita Miller of Chinese Landing, whose community has spent decades fighting gold miners over its land. Guyana was also the site of the 1823 Demerara rebellion, one of the biggest slave revolts of the colonial era, in which thousands of slaves rose up on a plantation owned by the father of former prime minister William Gladstone. More than 200 were killed; several were decapitated, their heads placed on poles.

The tour ends in Antigua and Barbuda at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where leaders of 56 member states are expected to discuss climate, trade and development; some Caribbean leaders say slavery reparations should dominate instead. The Bahamas remains a Commonwealth realm, one of seven Caribbean nations that recognize Charles as their head of state. Miller says the visit might improve things for Guyana overall — but not for Amerindian villages.