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

翻译人员: Sophia Ye 校对人员: Jacky He

In 2009, five Kenyan people took a petition

2009 年，五位肯尼亚人

to the British Prime Minister’s office.

向英国首相办公室递交了请愿书。

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

他们声称在肯尼亚在 英国殖民统治下 1950 年代中

while Kenya was under British colonial rule and demanded reparations.

人权遭受侵犯，并要求赔偿。

They had vivid accounts and physical scars from their experiences—

他们的回忆生动形象， 并且身体上具有伤痕，

but their testimonies were undermined.

但他们的证词受到了质疑。

They had no documentary evidence that Britain sanctioned systems of torture

他们没有文件证据证明英国曾经 授权对肯尼亚人施以酷刑，

against Kenyans— at least, not yet.

至少当时没有。

Thousands of secret files were waiting to be discovered.

成千上万份秘密文件即将被发现。

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

2010 年，一位历史学家作为 专家证人参与了审判，

and attested to having seen references to missing documents.

并证实曾经看到有关 失踪文件的参考资料。

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

他们指出肯尼亚曾多次 要求归还被盗文件，

which the British government had refused.

但英国政府拒绝了。

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

事实上，许多历史学家 怀疑档案中存在着漏洞。

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

于是，法庭下令公开相关文件。

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

几天后，英国官员承认在一处 机密档案中存有 1,500 份相关文件。

were being held in a high-security archive.

It soon became clear that these were just a small sample

很快就清楚，这些只是英国

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

在 20 世纪 50 至 70 年代之间 藏匿文件的一小部分；

while former colonies declared independence,

这是前殖民地宣布独立时，

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

称为“遗产行动”的 英国殖民政策的一个环节。

The policy was for British colonial officers to destroy or remove

这项政策使得英国 殖民官员销毁或转移

documentation that might incriminate Britain

能使英国受指控，或对新政府

and be of strategic value to the new governments.

有战略价值的文件记录。

They were instructed to destroy, alter,

他们被指示销毁、

or secretly transport these papers to the UK.

修改、或秘密将这些文件送至英国。

Documents slated for destruction were to be burnt to ashes

被指定销毁的文件将被焚烧

or sunk in weighted crates far from shore.

或放在重箱内沉入离岸较远的水域。

During the trial, between 2010 and 2013,

在 2010 至 2013 年判案期间，

an independent historian revealed they had located

一位个人历史学家宣布他找到了

more than 20,000 previously hidden Operation Legacy files

来自 37 个前殖民地的超过 20,000 份藏匿的“遗产行动”文件。

from 37 former colonies.

Finally, an estimated 1.2 million colonial files,

最终，经估计 120 万份殖民文件，

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

在称为“特别收藏”的 档案馆里绵延数千米，

were also exposed.

也被揭露出来。

And these were only the documents that British forces kept.

而这些只是英国军队保留的文件。

How many were destroyed— and what information they contained—

被销毁文件的数目以及 其包含的信息，仍是未知。

remains unknown.

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

大约有 3.5 吨的殖民文件在 肯尼亚被指定焚烧。

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

最终，“遗产行动”的目标是 掩盖一些关键事实。

of the truth.

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

用英国驻肯尼亚的总检察长的话来说：

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

“如果我们得作恶， 我们必须不留痕迹。”

So, what really happened in Kenya?

那么，在肯尼亚到底 发生了什么事情呢？

Beginning in 1895, the British administration forcibly removed people

从 1895 年开始， 英国政府强制将人们

from their traditional lands,

驱离他们的传统土地，

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

把最富饶的地区让给欧洲移民 以建立大规模农场。

They mandated forced labor systems,

他们实行了强迫劳工制度，

implemented reservations for Indigenous African peoples,

为非洲土著民设立保留区，

and restricted their movement.

并限制了他们的行动自由。

Kenyan people resisted these incursions from the start

肯尼亚人从一开始就抵抗这些侵入，

and grew increasingly organized over time.

并随着时间的推移越来越有组织。

One movement, the Kenya Land and Freedom Army,

其中一项运动， 肯尼亚土地自由军，

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

旨在强行驱赶白人移民 并推翻殖民政府。

When the British declared a state of emergency in 1952,

当英国在 1952 年 宣布进入紧急状态时，

they were giving themselves permission to take otherwise illegal special measures

他们允许自己采取 非法特别措施以重获控制。

to regain control.

The newly revealed Operation Legacy documents

新揭示的“遗产行动”文件证实，

confirmed that people suspected of participating in the resistance

那些涉嫌参与抵抗运动的人 遭受了可怕的虐待。

were subjected to horrible abuses.

Between 1952 and 1959,

在 1952 至 1959 年间，

the British imprisoned over 80,000 people without trial,

英国未经审判地关押了 超过 80,000 人，

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

给 1,000 多名被认定为 恐怖分子的人判处死刑，

and imposed extreme surveillance and interrogation tactics.

并采用了极端的监视与审讯手段。

Some people were beaten to death.

一些人遭殴打致死，

Others were raped or castrated.

其他人被强奸或阉割。

Many were shackled at the wrist for years.

许多人被手铐束缚多年。

Children were killed.

儿童被杀害，

One person was burnt alive.

一个人被活活烧死。

Ndiku Mutwiwa Mutua testified to being castrated while handcuffed

恩迪库‧穆特维瓦‧穆图阿作证称他 在被铐着手铐和蒙着眼睛的同时被阉割。

and blindfolded.

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

万布古‧瓦‧宁吉 说他被倒挂着殴打，

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

并且水被泼在脸上， 直到他几乎无法呼吸。

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

简‧穆托尼‧马拉说她 被用热瓶子性侵，

and imprisoned for years without cause.

并且无故遭多年监禁。

In response to the new evidence,

对于这些新证据，

the British government issued a formal apology,

英国政府发布了正式道歉，

and made an out-of-court financial settlement

并与最终涉及此案的 5,228 名肯尼亚人

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

达成了庭外赔偿协议。

The original five claimants had made history—

最初的五名索赔人创造了历史，

and paved the way for it to be rightfully rewritten.

并为正确重写历史铺平了道路。

The uncovered files challenge fundamental myths about British colonialism

这些揭露的文件挑战英国 殖民主义作为一种仁慈的制度，

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

为居民带来自由和民主，

then graciously gave them independence.

并慷慨地给予他们独立的认识。

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

相反，这些新揭示的证据证实了 许多人早已知道的真相，

because they lived it—

因为他们亲身经历过并幸存下来，

and survived to rescue history from the ashes.

从灰烬中拯救了历史。