nettime-nl: The (secret) Truth Commission Files

["Eveline Lubbers" <evel@xs4all.nl>]

November 26th, 1997

The (secret) Truth Commission Files

http://www.contrast.org/truth

On this site Contrast.org publishes the reports the Netherlands
Institute for Southern Africa (NIZA) presented to the Truth
Commission in South in November 1997.  
These files, composed by researcher Klaas de Jonge, reveal the
leads that may prove the involvement of the Apartheid government
intelligence and European secret services in several covert
operations. 

You will find reports on, among others:

* The assassination of Olaf Palme
* The murder of ANC-representative Dulcie September

and last but not least:

* The involvement in the S.A. Chemical Warfare program of Brian
Davey (cooperating closely with Dr.Basson), who now works for the
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in
the Hague, the Netherlands. 

On the files

Because of the secrecy surrounding this kind of covert operations
and the unwillingness in the past or the local authorities in
other countries to invest much time and money on investigations
concerning South African actions against organisations like the
ANC, few of these cases were resolved. Ten years later, this
becomes even more difficult. Because of this, and reasons
mentioned below, the data possessed remain necessarily scarce and
without much hard evidence. The value of these files however lies
in the assembling of virtually all the available information and
theories developed over the years. The research was done in
archives in different European countries (Holland, Belgium,
France, England and Sweden), by interviewing knowledgeable people
and by using the Internet. Conspiracy theories that inevitably
surround these subjects are being brought down, documented with
traceable facts and corrobarated by witnesses as much as
possible. This resulted in firm conclusions on every single case,
completed with clearly formulated remaining questions that ask
for further research. We therefor kindly request anybody with
further leads or additional information to contact us through
info@contrast.org. 

On the research

Two years ago the Instituut voor Zuid Afrika (the former Anti-
Apartheids Beweging Nederland, now NIZA) contacted Klaas de Jonge
to research gross human rights' violations by means of secret
operations in Europe during the Apartheid era. Though this
request of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) bore
hardly any bounds in time nor space, recourses have been pretty
limited. Klaas de Jonge worked on temporary contracts, the
extension of which was very unsure every time. There was no money
for additional help in processing his findings. As to the
contacts with the Research Department of the Truth Commission in
South Africa the support and feedback were very poor. Partly this
can be explained by organisational problems of the TRC, a lack
of money and skilled people on the right place.  There may
however be more important reasons that have kept the Commission
from digging deep into the subject of secret operations in
Europe. 

On the publishing

The Commission is focused on Reconciliation rather than on
uncovering the Truth. As this truth might hurt the stability
within the country as well as relations with European countries
(who kept a blind eye for decades), both of major importance to
the new South African government. 
There is reason to fear that the real culprits, those politically
or practically responsible for acts of violence in the apartheid-
era, will not be punished, as they will succeed to deny their
involvement and responsibility. 
Until now, nobody in South Africa applied for amnesty for the
actions discussed here and there isn't much chance that in the
near future anybody will confess. 
Although the presentation of these reports to the TRC caused some
stirr in the press, in South Africa and abroad, no further
research or publication have been announced yet.  

The covering up of secret operations of the Apartheid regime
continues, until this very day.  

On this site you will find the Klaas de Jonge reports as they
have been presented to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.
Publishing these files through an independent channel, hopefully
helps to prevent the hush up of these matters. 

Contrast.org supports the demand of further investigations into
each of these cases.  

Read the files, and judge for yourself.



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