Thousands of documents detailing some of the most shameful acts and
crimes committed during the final years of the British empire were
systematically destroyed to prevent them falling into the hands of
post-independence governments, an official review has concluded.
Those
papers that survived the purge were flown discreetly to Britain where
they were hidden for 50 years in a secret Foreign Office archive, beyond
the reach of historians and members of the public, and in breach of
legal obligations for them to be transferred into the public domain.
(…)
The
papers at Hanslope Park include monthly intelligence reports on the
"elimination" of the colonial authority's enemies in 1950s Malaya;
records showing ministers in London were aware of the torture and murder
of Mau Mau insurgents in Kenya, including a case of aman said to have
been "roasted alive"; and papers detailing the lengths to which the UK
went to forcibly remove islanders from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
However,
among the documents are a handful which show that many of the most
sensitive papers from Britain's late colonial era were not hidden away,
but simply destroyed. (…)
When a single watch file was to be
removed from a group of legacy files, a "twin file" – or dummy – was to
be created to insert in its place. (…)
Many of the watch files
ended up at Hanslope Park. They came from 37 different former colonies,
and filled 200 metres of shelving. But it is becoming clear that much of
the most damning material was probably destroyed. Officials in some
colonies, such as Kenya, were told that there should be a presumption in
favour of disposal of documents rather than removal to the UK –
"emphasis is placed upon destruction" – and that no trace of either the
documents or their incineration should remain. When documents were
burned, "the waste should be reduced to ash and the ashes broken up".
(...)(1)
Unfortunately, once again, here in Britain, we are reminded of the original sin of the post 1945 era. Now we have the temerity of destruction of records to add further insult to injury.
Footnote:
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/18/britain-destroyed-records-colonial-crimes
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