Shattered voices : language, violence, and the work of truth commissions PDF
Preview Shattered voices : language, violence, and the work of truth commissions
Shattered Voices Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights Bert B. Loclkwood, Jr., Series Editor A cotnpletr lzst of books zn tlzr srtzes zs clvcrzlrble fiom tlzr publzslze~. Shattered Voices Language, Violence, and the Work of Truth Commissions Teresa Godwin Phelps University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia Copyright 'C 2004 1-nivrrsity of Prnnsylvania Prrss ,111 rights rese1.r-ed Printrd in the 1-nirrd Starrs ofAmerica on acid-fire paper Pnblishrd by LTriivel.sit\-o f Pelilis\-I\-aliia Press Philadelphia. Pennsylvania 19104-41 12 Libra17 of Congress Cataloging-in-Pltblicatio~lD ata Phellx. Trresa Godxvin. Sharrrrrd voicrs : langltagr. ~iolencra. nd rhr work of rmrh co~ririiissioris/ Teresa God~viriP helps. p. cm.-(Prnnsvlvania srndirs in hltman rights) ISBK-18: 978-0-81"4397-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBK-10: 0-8122-379'7-8 (clorh : alk. paper) ISBK-18: 978-0-81""-1949.4 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBK-10: 0-8122-1949-5 (pbk : alk. paper) Iricludes bibliographical references arid index 1. Tmrh commissions. 2. Hltman rights. 3. Rrconciliarion. 4. Goverrinierital irivestigatioris. I. Title. 11. Series JC580 .P48 2004 823.4'9-dc22 2004041498 For Bill This page intentionally left blank Contents Prologue for Paulina I 1. The Demise of Paulina's Good: From Personal Revenge to State Punishment 12 2. The Demonizing of Revenge 24 3. Language, Violence, and Oppression 38 4. Tll'hat Can Stories Do? 52 5. Telling Stories in a Search for Justice: The Argentinian, Chilean, and Sahadoran Truth Commissions 74 6. Telling Stories in a Search for More Than Justice: The South MI-ican Truth and Reconciliation Commission 105 7. The Truth Must Dazzle Graduallv 118 Notes 129 Bibliography 163 Index 173 hckno~l-ledgments 179 This page intentionally left blank Prologue for Paulina In the ~I-inteor f 1992 in London, I attended one of the first perform- ances in English of Dratlz aid tlzr I\laidrn, a play by Chilean writer hiel Dorfman. Juliet Stevenson's brilliant depiction of Paulina Salas pre- sented a transfixed audience with a compelling question: what happens ~vhena new and tenuous democracy, because of political necessity, turns its back on sorne of the victims of the regime it has replaced? Paulina is just such a victim, and the play provides a troubling answer. The play opens when Gerardo, Paulina's husband, returns very late to the isolated house he shares wit11 Paulina. He is late because he had a flat tire and was rescued and driven home by a considerate stranger, Dr. Roberto L'firanda. Paulina hears only voices outside as she waits inside the darkened house, clutching a gun and "rolled into a foetus-like posi- tion."' Gerardo, a layer, is returning from a meeting with the country's president, the most "important meeting of my TI-holel ife,"? in TI-hichh e has been narned head of a cornmission that ~villin vestigate sorne crimes committed by the recently displaced military dictatorship. The initial dialogue between Paulina and Gerardo reveals that Paulina's response to the voices outside was typical: she has frequent breakdo~l-nrse sulting from her treatment TI-hens he, as an activist student fifteen years in the past, was kidnapped and tortured. Rather than pleasing her, however, Gerardo's appointment to head the commission filrther disturbs her: Pauliizn: This Cornrnission you're narned to. Doesn't it only investi- gate cases that ended in death? a o : It's appointed to investigate human rights' violations that ended in death or the presumption of death, yes. Paulina: Only the most serious cases? G o : The idea is that if we can cast light on the worst crimes, other abuses ~villc ome to light. Pauliizn: Only the most serious?
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