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| Often unreported, the victims of communism endured concentration camps. |
Between 1949 and 1952, the Rákosi regime practiced political cleansing by deporting Hungarian families to concentration camps. These camps were thirteen forced labour camps located throughout Hungary. Men, women, children and the elderly were sent to these camps. The deportations were decided by local communist authorities and by the political police. The decisions were not made by any court of law and the people sent to the camp didn't receive any due process of law.
The action taken by the Rákosi regime to deport citizens to the camps is a crime and stands against human decency. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights restricts the use of internment. Article 9 of the declaration states that "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile."
Mátyás Rákosi, a life-long communist, obtained political power in 1949. He imposed totalitarian communism and Stalinist-style authoritarian rule on the people of Hungary. Essentially, he was the "little Stalin" of Eastern Europe. He often described himself as "Stalin's best Hungarian disciple" and "Stalin's best pupil". The Rákosi regime was one of the worst communist regimes set up right after the Second World War. It is estimated that 2,000 people were executed by the regime and 100,000 were imprisoned in the labour camps.
Rákosi is one of the most hated figures in Hungarian history and his political legacy lives in infamy. We must make sure that the communist terror never returns to Hungary again. Unfortunately, there are some on the Hungarian left who still who look fondly upon the old communist regime.
István
