No clear conclusions about genocide in Greenland

 

TT-Ritzau

Published 16.54Updated 17.50

  

Two expert groups have given their views on how Denmark has treated the human rights of Greenlanders. Archive photo. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

The Greenland government cannot, based on two reports about the great spiral scandal, establish whether Denmark was guilty of genocide.

The experts' view is divided – and now a reconciliation commission is being proposed.

– You could say that the two reports are so different that one report says that there was no genocide at all. The other says that there may have been, says Mariane Paviasen Jensen, Greenland's Minister for Children, Youth, Justice and Equality, at a press conference on Friday afternoon.

– So we cannot say on behalf of the government whether there was genocide or not, she continues.

The task of the expert groups has been the Danish state's treatment of Inuit women and how it aligns with human rights. From the 1960s onwards, women of childbearing age were systematically subjected to physical interventions with the aim of reducing the birth rate. Thousands had IUDs inserted – in many cases without consent or knowledge.

Several Greenlandic politicians have previously said that it could be seen as genocide.

"Look back at the darkness"

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen proposed at the press conference that Greenland and Denmark launch a reconciliation commission.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says in a written statement that the "political process" following the reports will be handled together with the Greenland government.

"The most important thing for me is that we find the right path together," she says in the statement.

Mette Frederiksen thinks a reconciliation commission is a good idea:

"A reconciliation commission gives us the opportunity to look back at the darkness of our common history and to be critical of it and to acknowledge the pain it may have caused."

Researchers broke away

Mariane Paviasen Jensen urges people to read the reports and draw their own conclusions.

At the same time, the Greenlandic government rejects one of the reports, as it is considered not to meet the directives for the investigation. The report in question was made by two Danish researchers who broke away from the original expert group due to differences of opinion.

However, the government believes that the second report meets the directives.

Both reports have been reviewed by experts.