The records the British Empire didn't want you to see - Audra A. Diptée

Translator: Rizka Anjani Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

In 2009, five Kenyan people took a petition

Pada tahun 2009, lima warga Kenya mengajukan sebuah petisi

to the British Prime Minister’s office.

pada kantor Perdana Menteri Inggris.

They claimed they endured human rights abuses in the 1950s,

Mereka mengeklaim mengalami kekerasan HAM pada tahun 1950-an,

while Kenya was under British colonial rule and demanded reparations.

saat Kenya di bawah kekuasaan kolonial Inggris, dan meminta ganti rugi.

They had vivid accounts and physical scars from their experiences—

Mereka memiliki ingatan jelas dan bekas luka fisik dari kejadian itu—

but their testimonies were undermined.

tetapi kesaksian mereka diremehkan.

They had no documentary evidence that Britain sanctioned systems of torture

Mereka tidak punya bukti tercatat bahwa Inggris menyetujui sistem siksaan

against Kenyans— at least, not yet.

pada warga Kenya—setidaknya, belum ada.

Thousands of secret files were waiting to be discovered.

Ribuan berkas rahasia menunggu untuk ditemukan.

In 2010, a historian joined the trial as an expert witness

Pada tahun 2010, seorang sejarawan mengikuti sidang sebagai saksi ahli

and attested to having seen references to missing documents.

dan bersaksi telah melihat referensi dokumen-dokumen yang hilang.

They noted that Kenya had repeatedly requested the return of stolen papers,

Mereka mencatat Kenya berulang kali meminta pengembalian dokumen yang dicuri,

which the British government had refused.

yang mana ditolak oleh pemerintahan Inggris.

In fact, many historians suspected there were gaps in the archives.

Sebenarnya, banyak sejarawan menduga ada kekosongan dalam arsipnya.

As a result, the court ordered the release of any relevant documents.

Hasilnya, pengadilan memerintahkan pengungkapan setiap dokumen yang relevan.

And, days later, British officials acknowledged that 1,500 pertinent files

Beberapa hari kemudian, pemerintah Inggris mengakui 1.500 berkas terkait

were being held in a high-security archive.

disimpan dalam arsip yang dijaga ketat.

It soon became clear that these were just a small sample

Jelaslah bahwa berkas tersebut hanya sampel kecil

of documents Britain hid between the 1950s and 70s,

dari sekian dokumen yang disembunyikan oleh Inggris selama 1950 dan 1970-an,

while former colonies declared independence,

saat jajahan mendeklarasikan kemerdekaan,

as part of a widespread colonial British policy called Operation Legacy.

sebagai bagian dari kebijakan kolonial Inggris yang disebut Operasi Warisan.

The policy was for British colonial officers to destroy or remove

Kebijakannya adalah pejabat koloni Inggris menghancurkan atau menghapus

documentation that might incriminate Britain

dokumentasi yang dapat merugikan Inggris

and be of strategic value to the new governments.

dan bernilai strategis bagi pemerintahan yang baru.

They were instructed to destroy, alter,

Mereka diperintah untuk menghancurkan, mengubah,

or secretly transport these papers to the UK.

atau memindahkan diam-diam dokumen tersebut ke Inggris.

Documents slated for destruction were to be burnt to ashes

Dokumen yang dipilih untuk dihancurkan dibakar sampai hangus

or sunk in weighted crates far from shore.

atau ditenggelamkan dalam peti berat jauh dari pantai.

During the trial, between 2010 and 2013,

Selama pengadilan, pada 2010-2013,

an independent historian revealed they had located

sejarawan independen mengungkap telah menemukan

more than 20,000 previously hidden Operation Legacy files

lebih dari 20.000 berkas Operasi Warisan yang disembunyikan

from 37 former colonies.

dari 37 bekas jajahan.

Finally, an estimated 1.2 million colonial files,

Akhirnya, sekitar 1,2 juta berkas kolonial,

sprawling kilometers in the archive’s so-called “Special Collections,”

membentang berkilo-kilo meter dalam arsip “Koleksi Khusus”,

were also exposed.

juga terbongkar.

And these were only the documents that British forces kept.

Dan itu hanyalah dokumen yang dijaga tentara Inggris.

How many were destroyed— and what information they contained—

Jumlah berkas yang dihancurkan —dan informasi di dalamnya—

remains unknown.

tidak diketahui.

About 3.5 tons of colonial documents were slated for incineration in Kenya.

Sekitar 3,5 ton dokumen kolonial direncanakan untuk dibakar di Kenya.

Ultimately, Operation Legacy’s objective was to obscure critical aspects

Pada dasarnya, Operasi Warisan bertujuan untuk mengaburkan aspek kritis

of the truth.

dari kebenaran.

In the words of Britain’s attorney-general in Kenya,

Seperti ucapan pengacara umum Inggris di Kenya,

“If we are going to sin, we must sin quietly.”

“Jika kita akan berbuat dosa, lakukanlah diam-diam.”

So, what really happened in Kenya?

Jadi, apa yang sebenarnya terjadi di Kenya?

Beginning in 1895, the British administration forcibly removed people

Berawal pada 1895, pemerintah Inggris mengusir paksa orang-orang

from their traditional lands,

dari tanah adat mereka,

giving the most fertile areas to European settlers to establish large-scale farms.

memberi area tersubur pada pemukim Eropa untuk membangun perkebunan luas.

They mandated forced labor systems,

Mereka mewajibkan sistem kerja paksa,

implemented reservations for Indigenous African peoples,

menerapkan pembatasan pada pribumi Afrika,

dan membatasi pergerakan mereka.

and restricted their movement.

Kenyan people resisted these incursions from the start

Warga Kenya melawan serangan ini sejak awal

and grew increasingly organized over time.

dan semakin terstruktur dari waktu ke waktu.

One movement, the Kenya Land and Freedom Army,

Suatu pergerakan, Tentara Tanah Kenya dan Kebebasan,

aimed to forcibly remove white settlers and overthrow the colonial government.

bertujuan mengusir pemukim kulit putih dan menggulingkan pemerintah kolonial.

When the British declared a state of emergency in 1952,

Saat Inggris mengumumkan keadaan darurat pada 1952,

they were giving themselves permission to take otherwise illegal special measures

mereka mengambil tindakan ilegal khusus sewenang-wenang

to regain control.

untuk mengambil alih.

The newly revealed Operation Legacy documents

Dokumen Operasi Warisan yang baru terungkap

confirmed that people suspected of participating in the resistance

menegaskan orang yang dicurigai berpartisipasi dalam perlawanan

were subjected to horrible abuses.

mengalami kekerasan yang mengerikan.

Between 1952 and 1959,

Selama 1952-1959,

the British imprisoned over 80,000 people without trial,

Inggris memenjarakan 80.000 lebih orang tanpa diadili,

sentenced over 1,000 people convicted as terrorists to death,

menghukum mati 1.000 lebih orang yang dianggap teroris,

and imposed extreme surveillance and interrogation tactics.

dan menerapkan pengawasan ekstrem dan taktik interogasi.

Some people were beaten to death.

Beberapa orang dipukul sampai mati.

Others were raped or castrated.

Yang lainnya diperkosa atau dikebiri.

Many were shackled at the wrist for years.

Banyak yang diborgol selama bertahun-tahun.

Children were killed.

Anak-anak dibunuh.

One person was burnt alive.

Satu orang dibakar hidup-hidup.

Ndiku Mutwiwa Mutua testified to being castrated while handcuffed

Ndiku Mutwiwa Mutua bersaksi pernah dikebiri sambil diborgol

and blindfolded.

dan ditutup matanya.

Wambugu Wa Nyingi said he was suspended upside-down, beaten,

Wambugu Wa Nyingi berkata ia diikat terbalik, dihajar,

and had water thrown on his face until he could barely breathe.

dan wajahnya disiram air sampai sulit bernapas.

Jane Muthoni Mara said she was sexually violated with a hot bottle,

Jane Muthoni Mara berkata ia dilecehkan secara seksual dengan botol panas,

and imprisoned for years without cause.

dan dipenjara tanpa bukti bertahun-tahun.

In response to the new evidence,

Menanggapi bukti baru,

the British government issued a formal apology,

pemerintah Inggris meminta maaf secara resmi,

and made an out-of-court financial settlement

dan memberi uang damai di luar pengadilan

with the 5,228 Kenyan claimants ultimately involved in the case.

pada 5.228 penggugat Kenya yang ternyata terlibat.

The original five claimants had made history—

Kelima penggugat awal menorehkan sejarah—

and paved the way for it to be rightfully rewritten.

dan membuka jalan untuk penulisan ulang sejarah yang adil.

The uncovered files challenge fundamental myths about British colonialism

Berkas yang terungkap menantang mitos fundamental terkait kolonialisme Inggris

as a benevolent institution that brought freedom and democracy to its subjects,

sebagai lembaga kebajikan yang membawa kebebasan dan demokrasi pada rakyatnya,

then graciously gave them independence.

lalu memberi mereka kebebasan secara murah hati.

Instead, the newly exposed evidence confirms what many people knew to be true,

Namun, bukti yang baru diungkap menegaskan hal nyata yang diketahui banyak orang,

because they lived it—

karena mereka alami sendiri— dan bertahan

and survived to rescue history from the ashes.

demi menyelamatkan sejarah dari penghangusan.