The Truth and Reconciliation Commission will, among other things, investigate skull measurements and work cabins as part of the Swedification in Tornedalen until the mid-1950s, but the spread of covid-19 has made it difficult to cope with the entire task.
"Out of our control"
According to Commission President Elisabet Fura, members have instead focused on archival research and digital meetings.
The outreach activities among the victims and their relatives have simply not been possible to implement due to the strict restrictions on meetings and public gatherings.
- We have been delayed for reasons beyond our control and therefore we have applied to the government to work for another year with the issue.
If the government agrees to our application, we must be ready with a final report by 16 May 2023. If the government does not do so, we must radically reformulate our mission, but we are not there yet.
says Elisabet Fura.
A fight against the clock
But it will be a battle against the clock.
Many of those affected by head measurements, for example, are old today and it is important that the Commission has time to meet them before it is too late.
- It is clear that we can theoretically call them instead of meeting them physically, but it does not fit.
It is not about doing interviews after a football match or something similar, but about people who have been through deeply traumatic experiences that they may not have told so many people about, says Elisabet Fura.