Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog presided the inaugural meeting of the Gulag Memorial Committee, set up on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of deportations and forced labour in the Soviet Union.
Mr Balog said the end of World War II was by no means the beginning of a settlement and an end to the horrors, it rather brought new lies, sufferings and injustice to many lives. One of the biggest burdens was that until recently, it was even forbidden to talk about these things, he said.
The Minister said that on the 70th anniversary of the deportation, the government will continue to face these historical crimes. Hungary suffered the deportation of 200,000-230,000 persons after World War II, of whom 150,000-170,000 were deported as prisoners of wars and a further 50,000-60,000 on account of their German ethnicity. At the end of WW II, from the then 172,000 square kilometres territory of Hungary (which included parts of neighbouring countries), some 300,000 people had been deported, of whom as many as 60 per cent never returned.
Most of them are buried in mass graves near the camps or along the rail lines of deportation. Soviet authorities never served any official notice concerning their deaths. Mr Balog added that many more people died from diseases acquired as a result of their deportation.
The government established the Gulag Memorial Committee in order to oversee proper remembrances on the 70th anniversary, liaise with relevant organizations and submit related budget proposals. The committee consists of government officials, historic societies and other NGOs.
(Ministry of Human Capacities)
