{"id":1862,"date":"2023-01-14T13:08:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T13:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.audradiptee.com\/?p=1862"},"modified":"2023-05-07T17:24:46","modified_gmt":"2023-05-07T17:24:46","slug":"1953-mystery-solved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.audradiptee.com\/fr\/1953-mystery-solved\/","title":{"rendered":"1953 : Myst\u00e8re r\u00e9solu?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”13px||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title author=”off” date=”off” categories=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ title_font=”Montserrat|700|||||||” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font_size=”64px” title_line_height=”1.2em” title_font_size_tablet=”50px” title_font_size_phone=”24px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_blurb title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiJXcml0dGVuIGJ5ICIsImFmdGVyIjoiIiwibmFtZV9mb3JtYXQiOiJkaXNwbGF5X25hbWUiLCJsaW5rIjoib24iLCJsaW5rX2Rlc3RpbmF0aW9uIjoiYXV0aG9yX2FyY2hpdmUifX0=@” image=”https:\/\/www.audradiptee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AD_Audra-Sitting-on-Floor-Writing-with-Fountain-Pen.jpg” icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”62px” content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”title” header_font=”Cardo|700|||||||” header_text_align=”left” header_line_height=”5em” body_font=”||||||||” body_line_height=”1em” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” border_radii_image=”on|70px|70px|70px|70px” image_max_width=”48px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.audradiptee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Capture-decran-le-2023-03-06-a-08.02.17.png” title_text=”Capture d\u2019e\u0301cran, le 2023-03-06 a\u0300 08.02.17″ url=”https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mmorgan8186\/17432845928\/in\/photostream\/” url_new_window=”on” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” height=”496px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Photo credit:\u00a0 Francis Quamina\u00a0Farrier<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Images” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”19px||9px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” text_font_size_tablet=”36px” text_font_size_phone=”24px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”||17px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Why are there virtually no documents from British Guiana (modern-day Guyana) among the documents that were secretly removed from British colonies under Operation Legacy? How do we explain this mystery? <\/p>\n

When information about the specific documents was first released to the public, the historian Richard Drayton wrote an article<\/a> pointing out it was troubling that there were no documents for British Guiana.<\/p>\n

The colony was \u201cof interest\u201d to both Britain and the United States. \u00a0It seemed unlikely that there were no documents given that:<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.audradiptee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/magazine-18.png” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ custom_margin=”||4px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#2a2a2a” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”1.4em” header_font=”Cardo|700|||||||” header_font_size=”25px” header_line_height=”1.3em” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||0px|false|false” text_font_size_tablet=”36px” text_font_size_phone=”24px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

British Guiana saw one democratically-elected government overthrown by British troops in 1953, a heavy British security presence in the late 1950s, and then from 1962-4 a very well-documented joint British and American covert operation, which involved terror, bombings, detention of politicians, and black propaganda.<\/h1>\n

Richard Drayton, \u201cBritain\u2019s Secret Archive of Decolonisation\u201d, History Workshop, 19 April 2012.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Mystery Solved?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve stumbled across a document that brings us a little closer to understanding why we do not have access to these documents \u2026<\/p>\n

In the case of Guyana, it turns out they chose to destroy<\/strong> many more documents than they kept.<\/p>\n

As a general rule, only white British administrators<\/strong> were supposed to decide which colonial documents were to be destroyed, ‘migrated’ to England, or left in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n

But the processing of colonial documents required labour, time, and effort.<\/p>\n

In words taken from one of the documents:<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.audradiptee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/magazine-18.png” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ custom_margin=”||4px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Cardo|700|||||||” text_text_color=”#2a2a2a” text_font_size=”40px” text_line_height=”1.4em” text_font_size_tablet=”36px” text_font_size_phone=”24px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

The big problem in [British Guiana] … is that there are only two administrative officers! – Sir R. Grey and Mr. Murphy. <\/strong>(November 22, 1962)<\/p>\n

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In British Guiana, they simply lacked the manpower.<\/p>\n

The Governor (Sir Ralph Grey) was told that any sensitive<\/em> documents produced in 1953 or after<\/em> could be “destroyed without examination.” <\/strong><\/p>\n

In other words, they destroyed documents produced after 1953<\/strong> without even looking at them!<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why 1953?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Rest assured, this was not a randomly chosen year ….<\/p>\n

Before 1953, most people in British Guiana did not <\/em>have the right to vote.<\/p>\n

Here’s a timeline for 1953:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • April 27:<\/strong> Cheddi Jagan was democratically elected by the people of British Guiana. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • May 15:<\/strong> The Colonial Office started a secret filing system for British Guiana under Operation Legacy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      • October 9:<\/strong> Cheddi Jagan and others were arrested by the British. A State of Emergency was declared. The constitution of British Guiana was suspended. The (British) Governor ruled for 3 more years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        In other words, hiding and controlling these documents was not<\/strong> an after thought.<\/p>\n

        The British were simultaneously imposing political power and putting plans in place to hide documents from the “prying eyes” of the people they colonized.<\/p>\n

        \u00a0This brings us just a little bit closer to understanding how things unfolded under Operation Legacy!<\/p>\n

        Do you have any thoughts about this post? <\/em><\/strong>If so, hit the reply<\/span> button at the end of this page. <\/em>I would love to hear your comments …. <\/em><\/p>\n

        Join me for more updates on Chained in Paradise:\u00a0 How History was Used to Change the Future (A Caribbean Story).\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        Sign up below (\u21d3<\/strong><\/span>) <\/span>to follow my progress and to get a sneak peek of my research findings …<\/p>\n

        Amicalement,<\/p>\n

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        <\/h1>\n

        <\/h1>\n

        Want to hear more about these secret documents?<\/h1>\n

        <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

        Sign up below<\/span><\/strong> for a sneak peak<\/em><\/strong> of research findings, to get sample chapters<\/strong>, and to follow progress <\/strong><\/em>on a project that traces how the powerful used history to change the Caribbean future …<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

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