December 13, 2008

Can You Help Me Out On This One?

Let’s see if you guys can help me. It is kind of hard to slash my way through the bureaucratic jungle we have inherited (and since perfected to an apparatus of a thick rainforest-like stature) from the Ottomans. I have been to the Beirut Municipality, the Fire Department, the Police, Department, the Ministry of Health and two hospital, and everyone sends me in the direction of the others. And so I still do not have an answer.

The case is the following; I am doing a story on a Dutch person that disappeared here in 1975.
We know the date when this person disappeared, and we know that he was among a number of bodies – 17 at least – that were brought to two hospitals; AUH and Karantina. We do know that he was not identified at the time, and that two days later the procurer-general gave the order to have the unidentified victims of that particular accident in which he was involved, buried.

Question is; Where were these unidentified people buried?
Nobody seems to know anything, no one seems to be very willing to go through the archives either, and nobody seems to be able to tell me about the standards and procedures that are in place in case of an unidentified victim.

What does one do in Lebanon with an unidentified victim? Can anyone tell me what the standards & procedures would be, and who I need to talk to in order to find out?

Your help would be much appreciated. Mail me at galama at cyberia dot net dot lb.

Once I find out, I’ll publish the whole story for all of you who must be quite intrigued by now.
Thanks!

3 comments:

Simple Answer said...

Intrigued? Yes. Of any help? No. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Lebanese suffer from collective amnesia when it comes to the war. People might just be afraid of getting in trouble for something they messed up. Especially for a foreigner since they're more important than Lebanese. Bribery and gossip would be my two best suggestions.

Anonymous said...

Or send in the husband. No wait: your aunt, the one that does the haggling for you.