Kenya
Disgraceful though the whole sorry Cyprus business was, it was less ugly than what was happening in Kenya. In Cyprus the soldiers some- times grew impatient, sometimes bloody-minded, sometimes violent; but there was never systematic defiance of international law. In Kenya, the 'rehabilitation' scheme led to a type of forced labour which had long before been condemned by all civilised nations; which was banned by ILO agreement (ratified by Britain, but not for Kenya); which was illegal by the Kenya Government's own regulations; and which was utterly repugnant by Western standards. True, the plan was sufficiently loosely phrased to allow of moderate interpreta- tion. But the way it was in fact interpreted led to the massacre at Hula.
'There can be no excuse for Ministers here. They had been given details of the beatings-up which were going on in Kenya detention camps; but instead of initiating an impartial investigation, they accepted the reassurance of the very men who were allowing and sometimes abetting the system. Only a week before the eleven. Africans were beaten to death at Hola, Julian Amery was telling the Commons that 'safeguards against abuse are effective.' Yet Mr. Amery did not resign when the news of their deaths came through; nor did the Colonial Secretary; nor did any member of the Government.
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