Exposing evil
- Pinochet (Channel 4)
- The Mark Thomas Comedy Project (BBC2)
- Thursday Night Live (UTV)
- For Love Or Money (Channel 4)
It was quite a novelty at first having Chileans in school with us -
they attracted lots of attention from the teachers when they learned
Irish so quickly and appeared in local papers when they became local
hurling stars.
What we didn't realise at the time was that the hundred or so
refugees had fled from the torturous regime of Augusto Pinochet,
ending up in the cold, wet climes of East Clare.
Pinochet's favourite tortures (as profiled on Channel 4 on Saturday
last) included inserting electrodes in women's vaginas, training dogs
to rape women and inserting live rats in victims' stomachs.
In November 1973, shortly after deposing Allende's Socialist
government, the Arouco Fishing Depot had to halt production as the
fish they were processing were mixed with bits of human flesh from
bodies the navy had tossed into the ocean after they had been dragged
out of the naval base's torture chambers.
The bodies generally had bones broken, fingernails pulled out, were
punctured with cigarette burns and had testicles smashed.
The macho, military Pinochet had risen rapidly throught the ranks and
was in fact promoted by Salvador Allende, whose Socialist government
was democratically elected in 1970 by a Chilean electorate keen to
eradicate the vast disparities of wealth in this copper rich land.
President Nixon of the USA, was keen to prevent the nationalisation
of land and redistribution of wealth and instructed the CIA to
organise a series of strikes including the lorry drivers campaign,
which was funded by the USA, in order to successfully create economic
instability.
The US inspired coup of 1973 led to the death of Allende and the
arrest of 13,500 people. Thre were executions of 320 in the first 19
days alone. Despite this, the US increased its military and economic
assistance to prop up the new regime.
Pinochet quickly unravelled all reforms, slashed public spending and
consolidated his iron grip on the country through his infamous secret
police who murdered over 4,000 civilians deemed to be ``the enemy
within'', tortured many thousands more, and forced over one million
trade unionists, teachers, intellectuals and activists to flee the
country.
Pinochet's arm extended abroad, however, through ``Operation Condor'' a
co-operative exercise between Latin American dictators, which led to
the death of many Chileans abroad, including most notably ex Foreign
Minister Letelier in a car bomb in Washington in 1976.
Pinochet's regime continued to be propped up by his Yankee allies and
Thatcher, whom he greatly admired for her ``defeat of those communist
miners''.
He shared similar economic policies and was instrumental in the war
in the Malvinas of 1982, saving her political career and no doubt
prolonging the war in our own country.
The `Baroness' continues to be `grateful' and has been a stalwart
supporter of his in recent troubles.
Despite his reign of oppression and fear he was defeated by his own
people in presidential elections in 1990, when 54% of the electorate
rejected him in a one horse race.
It remains to be seen if he gets his just rewards.
Which is what the Indonesian dictatorship received in BBC2's
excellent ``Mark Thomas Comedy Project'' when they admitted for the
first time to torture. They did this as thewy thought they were
engaged in media training.
Thomas, who manages to mix humour with politically heavy subjects,
travelled to an International Arms Convention in Athens, under the
guise of a PR consultant, where he successfully ``sold'' PR courses to
a number of regimes.
After breakfasting with genocidal generals, who would excuse
themselves for farting, he set up stall next to a Bulgarian Surface
to Air Missile Company and began to ``train'' a Kenyan Major Ngoyore on
how to handle the media.
The much medallioned Major told us how ``wife beating was a form of
love'' in his country and that women needed it.
Star of the show was undoubtedly Major General Widijojo, of the
Indonesian Armed Forces, who immediately fell for the stunt of ``how
to handle the media'', admitting to torture in his country - ``it
happens once in a while - it is to project our security!''
Thomas, whose brazenness is nothing short of breathtaking, so
impressed the Indonesian delegation, that his ``PR company'' was asked
to organise a six week training course for the Indonesian Colonels -
tune in on Wednesdays.
On UTV's ``Thursday Night Live'' it was all figures - 90 out of 100
health authorities planning closures in Britain; no change in New
Labour Health policies over the last twenty months in office; £109
billion possessed by the 100 richest people, £7 billion which would
transform the health system; and £80 a week for trainee nurses for a
week's work.
By Sean O Donaile
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