A series of personal views from the Third World
The Hidden Holocaust
'They tied people together and set fire to them. They cut off the children's heads and threw them in a ditch,' says a Guatemalan Indian refugee, describing a recent massacre. Tens of thousands of Indians have been killed in Guatemala in the past five years, according to Human Rights agencies. Fr Luis Gurriaran , a Catholic priest, tells the story of the Indians. He worked in the highlands of Guatemala for more than 20 years, but was forced into exile when his life too was threatened by the authorities. He sees Guatemala as a country ruled by a rich and powerful elite determined to resist social change. The Indians are very poor, and those who complain or try to change their poverty are labelled 'Communists' and killed.
FR GURRIARAN calls the repression of Guatemala's Indians a 'hidden holocaust'.
Film editor MIKE CASEY Producer JUDY JACKSON
Series editor ANTHONY ISAACS
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