London apologized after publishing a death report of more than 150 thousand African and Indian soldiers during the First World War forgotten by the authorities. About it reports Le Figaro.
The Minister of Defense of Great Britain Ben Wallace, on behalf of the government, expressed deep regret on the current situation and referred to persistent prejudice and racist ideas, once popular in English society. “We cannot change the past, but we must draw conclusions and act,” he said.
According to the Commission on British military burials, more than 50 thousand soldiers from East Africa, India and Egypt were not awarded personal burials, unlike their face-free comrades. In addition, from 116 to 350 thousand dead ever were never mentioned during the intercourse of memory of war and solemn ceremonies. The reason for this was the widespread racism in the UK.
The report on the soldiers was formulated after the release of the The Unremembered documentary (“Not remaining in memory”). The author of the film is a deputy of the Labor Party of Great Britain David Lammy – notes that no excuses will allow to correct the humiliation of the forgotten victims of the war. “However, this apology gives us as a nation, the opportunity to explore this terrible chapter of our story and pay tribute to everyone from the soldiers who sacrificed his life,” adds politician to twitter .
Revaluation of the relationship to the colonial past Britain was caused by the Public Motion of Black Lives Matter (“Life of Black Life”), notes Le Figaro. It was founded in the United States in 2013 to combat racism and police violence. In the summer of 2020, BLM activists organized mass protests throughout the country.