“It is better to remain quiet and to forget. That is the only thing we must do. We must forget. And that won’t happen if we continue opening up lawsuits, sending people to jail. FOR-GET: That’s the word. And for that to happen, both sides must forget and continue with their work.”(Former General Augusto Pinochet, September 13 1995, two days after the 22nd anniversary of the military coup) see derechos
In the years that have gone by since Chile began its “transition” to democracy, there has been a constant call for people to forget. The effort to erase the memory of a very specific part of the country’s history comes most especially from one sector of the society. Still, as made evident by regular, every-day events, the contradictions from the past continue to have their effect today.The past must be understood if we are to understand where we are today, who we are and how best to deal with the future.Australia as in Chile still has its own “taboo” subjects and open wounds – in our case it definitely the totally unresolved situation of our deep, dark past of our oppression of our indigenous population.Australia is a country that has managed to submerge this truth today.. and blame the these people for their own problems. We will never come to terms with our present and future unless we see our past clearly.