Six years after the final report of the Truth and National Reconcilliation Commission (CVR [2]) on Peru's 1980-2000 "dirty war" against the Sendero Luminoso guerillas, the citizens group Para Que no se Repita (roughly translated as "Never Again") has pledged a new campaign to raise awareness of human rights in the Andean nation. The move comes in response to comments by Defense Minister Rafael Rey calling the CVR's findings "false, unjust and calumnious." (La Republica [3], Aug. 27; RPP [4], Aug. 26)
The controversy comes as a ceremony was held in Huanta, Ayacucho region, to commemorate the 1984 army massacre at the outlying village of Putis [5], where over 100 peasants were killed. Forensic specialists have just unearthed 92 sets of human remains form the massacre, which were carried through Huanta's central plaza in white coffins. (CNR [6], Peru, Aug. 28)
Of the 15,000 believed "disappeared" in the campaign against the Maoist guerillas, only 769 have been been uncovered, according to the Forensic Anthropology Team (EPAF) charged with the continuing investigation. (La Republica [7], Aug. 29)
See our last post on Peru and Sendero Luminoso [8].
Please leave a tip [9] or answer the Exit Poll [10].
