21.08.2007, Chile
Ethical Commission against Torture requests the support to all the
national and international organizations for the campaign making the
house of London 38 a memorial: 119memoria119@gmail.com
The organizations below signatories denounce before the national and
international community the Chilean government's decision of
transforming the House of London 38, torture place and disappearances
during the dictatorship, in the headquarters of the government
Institute of human rights whisking away the will of the social
organizations, of the groupings of family of victims and of torture
survivors of creating in that place a House of the Memory, directed by
the own associations.
We have the duty of denouncing that from 1990 the successive
governments of the Agreement, in their search of the negotiation with
the political right, formerly of the repression and dictatorial, they
have not made more than to give turns in a vicious circle of impunity,
silence and forgetfulness regarding the serious violations to the human
rights and hurt humanity's crimes happened during Pinochet's
dictatorship. The repair measures, restitution and
rehabilitation, they are very far from the principles and positions
that the own governments of the Agreement point out in the
international forums and the same breast of United Nations. Social
repair doesn't exist, restitution, neither concrete, social and moral
rehabilitation doesn't exist by no means, a politics of receipt of the
collective memory so that the society re-does its fabric damaged by
hurt humanity's crimes and the terrorism of State. In the bottom it
doesn't exist the political will that allows to give new foundations to
our youths in the construction of their present, teaching them on our
recent past that claims their place in the history.
Today the Dra. Bachelet that symbolizes in their own family life the
havocs of the terrorism of State with death, tortures, exile, detention
and persecution, turn out to be the most appropriate in the members of
the Agreement to consecrate the impunity, the silence and the
forgetfulness. You advances quickly to an I don't punish the violators
of the human rights that it is summed up in the discounts of
condemnations, quick closings of processes, also maintaining, even
effective the Law of (car) Amnesty promulgated by Pinochet's
dictatorship.
Today the government has the ambition of locating at Chile in the
Commission of human rights of United Nations. And to make merits,
it has prepared the creation of an Institute of human rights, place
where the files related with the violations will be stored happened in
our country during the dictatorship like they are the help resources,
the torture testimonies and the classified names of the torturing ones
and kept by 50 years.
The Dra. Bachelet in an authoritarian flare has defined that that
institute should work in the former house of tortures of London 38,
silencing this way the clamor of the social organizations and of human
rights that claim that former torture center, for several years, like
public space dedicated to the MEMORY, to the restitution of the good
name of the victims and the formation of the new generations in the
NEVER MA IN CHILI. Ignoring the fact that the acceptance of exchange of
the house of London 38 on the part of the Institute O'Higiniano, was
owed mainly to the constant pressure exercised in the wall of the
property by the collective MEMORY 119 (former community of Family and
Friends of The 119), with the support of other social organizations and
of human rights, activity carried out for approximately two years every
Thursday.
Which will the government's argument be to convince to the national and
international public opinion that is exactly and necessary that don't
surrender to the tribunals of justice the testimonies picked up by the
Report Valech to end that those responsible for the torture crime that
they are investigated and sanctioned judicially?
What will the government make to explain in United Nations that the
State of Chile honora his proclaimed commitment of to defend and to
promote the human rights and however there is mapuches imprisoned to
fight for his rights and workers repressed by his social and salary
demands?
How will the government from Chile make to explain in United Nations
the decision of classifying for 50 years the name of the torturing ones
in our country and the reason his civic government he doesn't listen
those who want to contribute from the civil society with the historical
memory of the country for the construction of a fair and democratic
society?
We call to the national and international public opinion to support to
the organizations in their demand of converting LONDON 38 LIKE HOUSE OF
THE MEMORY.
¡¡ Verdad, Memoria y Justicia !!
MEMORIA 119
119memoria119@gmail.com
Cooperator
World Coalition Against Torturers (WCAT)
Project Management
Bianca Schmolze
Bianca Schmolze
has a Master of Business Administration and works for the Medical Care
Service for Refugees since 2002. After serving as a fundraiser, she
became responsible coordinator of the "Justice heals" campaign in 2004.
Furthermore, she has a mandate in the city council of Bochum.
Tel.: +49-(0)234-9041380
Fax: +49-(0)234-9041381
(Thursday and Friday, 10.00–18.00 Uhr)
Supported by
Manfred
Nowak,
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture