Denying the right to memory

Why do we need a public record of war crimes? Forgive and forget say those for whom the revelation of secrets might be politically disastrous or whose moral judgement might be called into question. Publish and be damned say others for whom truth-telling and probity are the foundations of democratic accountability.

Spain’s right to memory under threat

The politics of public or “collective” memory are alive and well in Spain, where a controversial dictionary of national biography has whitewashed the career of its former dictator, General Francisco Franco.

Cambodia comes to terms with its past

One picture is worth ten thousand words, according to the old press saying. Certainly in today’s media saturated environment, a fine documentary has greater impact than the best historical narrative. And when that documentary exposes what has been deliberately concealed, it is all the more powerful.