Cyprus-Forum.com

[Paphitis]

Any ex-pats around to express their apologies, regrets, acknowledgements etc of contributions by the Former Colonial Power to our little problem?

Former? What do you think they're still doing in the 21st century in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc?

They are just sightseeing mate!

[Viewpoint]

There is nothing to apologize unless you personally did something wrong (and in that case just an apology might not be enough).

What everybody needs to do is to acknowledge the WHOLE truth about our troubled history without selectively choosing only the bits and pieces that suit his own side.

Most importantly people should not try to use history as an excuse in order to continue today and in the future to commit crimes and human rights violations against innocent people. It is very hypocritical to "apologize" for the suffering caused in the past, and at the same time support the continuation of human rights violations of innocent people today and demand that one side should be made to "pay the price" for everything that happened in the past.

Personally I acknowledge the suffering of the TCs in the past and I condemn the crimes committed against innocent TCs during the conflict.

What I support for the present and the future is the human and democratic rights for all Cypriots without any kind of racist discrimination.

So what you are saying is we should not learn for the mistakes of the past and take measures not to fall into the same traps?

[Viewpoint]

Does the "bully" apologies or the "bully thumper"?

[Piratis]

There is nothing to apologize unless you personally did something wrong (and in that case just an apology might not be enough).

What everybody needs to do is to acknowledge the WHOLE truth about our troubled history without selectively choosing only the bits and pieces that suit his own side.

Most importantly people should not try to use history as an excuse in order to continue today and in the future to commit crimes and human rights violations against innocent people. It is very hypocritical to "apologize" for the suffering caused in the past, and at the same time support the continuation of human rights violations of innocent people today and demand that one side should be made to "pay the price" for everything that happened in the past.

Personally I acknowledge the suffering of the TCs in the past and I condemn the crimes committed against innocent TCs during the conflict.

What I support for the present and the future is the human and democratic rights for all Cypriots without any kind of racist discrimination.

So what you are saying is we should not learn for the mistakes of the past and take measures not to fall into the same traps?

Actually I am saying the exact contrary. We should learn from past mistakes.

The privileges granted by foreign invaders to a minority on the expense of the majority of the population is what we had in Cyprus during Ottoman rule, and then 82 years later with the 1960 constitution that was imposed on the Cypriot people.

We should learn from this mistakes and not do them again. We should learn from the example of all other multi-ethnic countries with mix-populations and have equality among all citizens without any anachronistic racist discriminations and forced segregation which divide the population of our island along ethnic lines and create problems and conflicts.

[repulsewarrior]

...we can develop another political model which allows for an Identity as Individuals (and a State), while there exists for us, at another level of governance the ability to sustain an identity as Persons: this is Bicommunal.

[Viewpoint]

There is nothing to apologize unless you personally did something wrong (and in that case just an apology might not be enough).

What everybody needs to do is to acknowledge the WHOLE truth about our troubled history without selectively choosing only the bits and pieces that suit his own side.

Most importantly people should not try to use history as an excuse in order to continue today and in the future to commit crimes and human rights violations against innocent people. It is very hypocritical to "apologize" for the suffering caused in the past, and at the same time support the continuation of human rights violations of innocent people today and demand that one side should be made to "pay the price" for everything that happened in the past.

Personally I acknowledge the suffering of the TCs in the past and I condemn the crimes committed against innocent TCs during the conflict.

What I support for the present and the future is the human and democratic rights for all Cypriots without any kind of racist discrimination.

So what you are saying is we should not learn for the mistakes of the past and take measures not to fall into the same traps?

Actually I am saying the exact contrary. We should learn from past mistakes.

The privileges granted by foreign invaders to a minority on the expense of the majority of the population is what we had in Cyprus during Ottoman rule, and then 82 years later with the 1960 constitution that was imposed on the Cypriot people.

We should learn from this mistakes and not do them again. We should learn from the example of all other multi-ethnic countries with mix-populations and have equality among all citizens without any anachronistic racist discriminations and forced segregation which divide the population of our island along ethnic lines and create problems and conflicts.

And what have you learned from the GC mistakes and how can we ensure they are never allowed to repeat them?

[repulsewarrior]

...what have you learned about Humanity, vp, in my mind that would be a better question. whether a person is "Greek" or "Turkish", what does that have to do with Intolerance?

[Viewpoint]

...what have you learned about Humanity, vp, in my mind that would be a better question. whether a person is "Greek" or "Turkish", what does that have to do with Intolerance?

Ask that to the GCs who wanted to gift this island of ours to Greece and turn us all into Greeks.

[Gasman]

bill cobbett wrote:

Any ex-pats around to express their apologies, regrets, acknowledgements etc of contributions by the Former Colonial Power to our little problem?

Ex pat reporting for duty. I will apologise for these blokes:

After world war two ... Governor Sir Andrew Wright, appointed in 1949, viewed Cypriots, according to the Colonial Office,

“as children who needed a firm hand and an occasional spanking.”

He further opined that

“if you wave sticks at Cypriots you do not have to call out the garrison”

and a well-known Labour MP, Richard Crossman, noted (during the rising revolt against British rule in 1955!) that

“nothing is very serious, since no one on either side means what he says or does what he means ... Cyprus is the only amiable police state I have ever visited.”

[Gasman]

And, oh blimey - I better apologise for this patronizing bloke too - Sir Ronald Storrs Governor - (30 November 1926 - 29 October 1932.

It was thought, as late as 1926, that philhellenism would help in administering the island (Storrs “took pride in his classical learning and was a sincere admirer of the Hellenic literary and cultural heritage.”

Of course, as a modern proconsul, he had hopes that British-style modernization would finally come the way of those he administers:

“by all means admire Euripides, [he told them] but simultaneously organize Boy Scout troops.”

Dear me.

And this one -

Lord Curzon, British Foreign Secretary in the aftermath of World War one.

He thought that the Hellenes needed to be protected from further racial/cultural contamination, and thus, that Greece needed to stay out of an Asia that was foreign to it, while Turkey should at all costs be kept out of Europe. Cyprus was Asia, and therefore not essentially Greek.

Good grief - I will be here apologising all night!