The so-called Jonestown massacre has been called the largest mass suicide ever. On 18 November 1978, 914 people died, most of them after drinking poison on orders from cult leader Jim Jones. 276 of them were children. What they all had in common was that they were members of the sect People’s Temple, which was located in the jungle in the South American country of Guyana. Now the authorities in the country want to reopen the area and make it a tourist attraction, writes news agency AP. One of the survivors says the authorities have every right to make money from what happened. – On the other side: The fact that people were manipulated into taking their own lives should be handled with respect, says Jordan Vilchez to the news agency. Jordan Vilchez lived in Jonestown, but happened to not be there when Jim Jones ordered everyone to commit suicide. That day she lost two sisters and two nephews. Photo: Jeff Chiu / AP Order the members to drink poison The sect was founded in the United States in 1963. 14 years later, the sect leader took his members to northwestern Guyana. The sect members lived there, isolated from the rest of the world, with armed guards around the area. In November 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan came to Jonestown, with a camera crew in tow. They were to investigate reports that members were not allowed to leave the area. When they were to travel back by plane, Ryan and four others in the party were killed. Shortly afterwards, the sect leader ordered the members to drink poison. Those who refused were shot. Bottles of poison found at the site. When the members were ordered to commit suicide, the poison was mixed with grape juice. Photo: AP Jones They told that the congressman was actually a CIA agent, and that American soldiers were preparing an attack. In retrospect, a 45-minute long recording has been found where Jones can be heard saying that this is not a suicide, but a revolutionary act. – Leave life with dignity, not with tears and fear. Stop the hysteria, he says among other things. Jones had previously carried out several “rehearsals” on mass suicide. Sjøvl died from a bullet to the head, but the authorities do not know if he himself was the one who fired the shot. – A horrible and bizarre idea Law professor at the University of Guyana, Neville Bissember, is very critical of the proposal to turn the area into a tourist attraction. He calls it a horrible and bizarre idea. – What part of Guyana’s nature and culture is represented in a place where a mass suicide occurred; Which American citizens were subjected to human rights violations that had nothing to do with Guyana? write Bissember in a letter quoted by AP. Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond says he is aware of “a certain amount of opposition”, but that they still stand by the plans. It is the travel agency Wonderlust Adventures that will transport tourists to the area. Director Rose Sewcharran believes the time is ripe. – This happens all over the world. We have several examples of dark, morbid tourism throughout the world, including Auschwitz and the Holocaust museum, she says to AP. The pilot who flew Congressman Ryan and the camera crew to Jonestown in 1978 is among those who support the proposal. Are you interested in foreign material? Then you can listen to Urix on Saturday: Published 09.12.2024, at 12.17
ttn-69
