The Batepá massacre occurred on 3 February 1953 in colonial São Tomé when hundreds of native creoles known as forros were massacred by the colonial administration and Portuguese landowners. Many forros believed the government intended to force them to work as contract laborers, to which they objected. In response, the governor blamed the unrest on communists and ordered the military to round up such individuals and for civilians to protect themselves. This quickly turned into a bloodbath, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of forros. No communist conspiracy was ever proven.
Batepá massacre
Monument of the massacre, erected in 2015 on the beach of Fernão Dias, São Tomé.
Carlos Gorgulho assumed office as governor in 1945. At the time São Tomé Island was one of the world's largest producers of cocoa. Large plantations, called roças, occupied the majority of the island's farmland.[3] The roças operated as a quasi-feudal system using contract laborers (serviçais) from mainland Africa and Cape Verde. The forros had always refused manual field work on the estates, since they considered it slave labor. In Gorgulho's assessment the economic modernization policies of the Portuguese Estado Novo regime required breaking São Tomé's dependence on contract laborers from overseas.[4] To accomplish this Gorgulho implemented policies to make it easier for serviçais to return home while at the same time improving conditions on the roças, which he hoped would attract local labor.[5] He also introduced measures targeting the livelihood of the forros such as prohibiting the sale of palm wine and the locally produced gin and raising the poll tax from 30 to 90 escudos; Gorgulho believed these measures would result in the forros taking up wage labor on the roças.[5]
Gorgulho also faced a shortage of labor to carry out his public works and construction projects. The colonial administration used police raids to kidnap people for forced labor gangs to carry out much of this work.[6]
The crisisedit
Faced with widespread labor shortages, in 1952 the colonial administration proposed settling fifteen thousand people from Cape Verde on São Tomé; then in January 1953 rumors spread that the government would seize the land of the forros to give to newly arrived Cape Verdians and compel the forros to work as contract labor.[7][8] On February 2, 1953, hand-written pamphlets appeared in São Tomé threatening to kill anyone who contracted forros as laborers. The government responded with on official declaration: "The government has been informed that individuals who are hostile towards the present policy, known as communists, are spreading tendentious rumors to the effect that the creoles are to be obliged to contract themselves for the work on the roças like serviçais. The government declares that no creole should give credit to these rumors, but should report such individuals to the police. Thus, the government which has the obligation to protect the creoles, as it has always demonstrated, guarantees them that it will never agree to authorize such contracts."[9] Crowds of protestors gathered on February 3 and the police killed one of them, Manuel da Conceição Soares. His death precipitated a large protest in Trindade the following day.[9]
The massacresedit
Gorgulho informed colonists and the administration that a communist rebellion was in the offing and he issued a call for all white colonists to take up arms to protect themselves and white women.[10] Militias were quickly formed and some Cape Verdians responded to the call-to-arms. In addition, planters mobilized Angolan and Mozambican workers. Over the next few days the militias and colonial government killed hundreds of forros.[1] Twenty-eight people were suffocated in a cell by the local police, the Corpo de Polícia Indígena (CPI, Indigenous Police Corps); on one estate, twenty people were burned to death.[10] The authorities subjected prisoners to torture using electricity and scores of prisoners died as a result of torture, beatings, and forced labor.[1] The authorities dumped many bodies into the sea. "Throw this shit into the sea to avoid troubles," Gorgulho is quoted as advising.[11]
Aftermathedit
On March 4 members of the Portuguese International and State Defense Police arrived to conduct an investigation into the alleged communist conspiracy. They quickly concluded there was no such conspiracy and, in April, Sarmento Rodrigues, the Minister of Overseas Territories, ordered Gorgulho to return to Lisbon.[12] He was promoted to the rank of general and praised by the Minister of the Army, General Abranches Pinto, for his actions. Seven forros were tried and convicted for the killing of two police officers.[12]
The Batepá massacre marked the rise of the independence movement in Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe, and is commemorated annually as a national holiday (Dia de Mártires da Liberdade) on February 3.[13]
^Francisco, Alberto da Boa Morte (2011). Excorcising Devils from the Throne: Sao Tome and Principe. New York, NY: Algora Publishing. p. 25. ISBN978-0-87586-846-2.
^Keese, Alexander (2011). "Early Limits of Local Decolonization in São Tomé and Príncipe: From Colonial Abuses to Postcolonial Disappointment, 1945—1976". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 44 (3): 389.
batepá, massacre, occurred, february, 1953, colonial, são, tomé, when, hundreds, native, creoles, known, forros, were, massacred, colonial, administration, portuguese, landowners, many, forros, believed, government, intended, force, them, work, contract, labor. The Batepa massacre occurred on 3 February 1953 in colonial Sao Tome when hundreds of native creoles known as forros were massacred by the colonial administration and Portuguese landowners Many forros believed the government intended to force them to work as contract laborers to which they objected In response the governor blamed the unrest on communists and ordered the military to round up such individuals and for civilians to protect themselves This quickly turned into a bloodbath resulting in the deaths of hundreds of forros No communist conspiracy was ever proven Batepa massacreMonument of the massacre erected in 2015 on the beach of Fernao Dias Sao Tome Date3 February 1953LocationBatepa Me Zochi District Sao Tome IslandResulted inProtests repelled beginning of nationalist sentimentPartiesSantomean creoles Portuguese landownersCasualties and lossesHundreds killed 1 2 police officers killed 2 Contents 1 Background 2 The crisis 3 The massacres 4 Aftermath 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksBackground editCarlos Gorgulho assumed office as governor in 1945 At the time Sao Tome Island was one of the world s largest producers of cocoa Large plantations called rocas occupied the majority of the island s farmland 3 The rocas operated as a quasi feudal system using contract laborers servicais from mainland Africa and Cape Verde The forros had always refused manual field work on the estates since they considered it slave labor In Gorgulho s assessment the economic modernization policies of the Portuguese Estado Novo regime required breaking Sao Tome s dependence on contract laborers from overseas 4 To accomplish this Gorgulho implemented policies to make it easier for servicais to return home while at the same time improving conditions on the rocas which he hoped would attract local labor 5 He also introduced measures targeting the livelihood of the forros such as prohibiting the sale of palm wine and the locally produced gin and raising the poll tax from 30 to 90 escudos Gorgulho believed these measures would result in the forros taking up wage labor on the rocas 5 Gorgulho also faced a shortage of labor to carry out his public works and construction projects The colonial administration used police raids to kidnap people for forced labor gangs to carry out much of this work 6 The crisis editFaced with widespread labor shortages in 1952 the colonial administration proposed settling fifteen thousand people from Cape Verde on Sao Tome then in January 1953 rumors spread that the government would seize the land of the forros to give to newly arrived Cape Verdians and compel the forros to work as contract labor 7 8 On February 2 1953 hand written pamphlets appeared in Sao Tome threatening to kill anyone who contracted forros as laborers The government responded with on official declaration The government has been informed that individuals who are hostile towards the present policy known as communists are spreading tendentious rumors to the effect that the creoles are to be obliged to contract themselves for the work on the rocas like servicais The government declares that no creole should give credit to these rumors but should report such individuals to the police Thus the government which has the obligation to protect the creoles as it has always demonstrated guarantees them that it will never agree to authorize such contracts 9 Crowds of protestors gathered on February 3 and the police killed one of them Manuel da Conceicao Soares His death precipitated a large protest in Trindade the following day 9 The massacres editGorgulho informed colonists and the administration that a communist rebellion was in the offing and he issued a call for all white colonists to take up arms to protect themselves and white women 10 Militias were quickly formed and some Cape Verdians responded to the call to arms In addition planters mobilized Angolan and Mozambican workers Over the next few days the militias and colonial government killed hundreds of forros 1 Twenty eight people were suffocated in a cell by the local police the Corpo de Policia Indigena CPI Indigenous Police Corps on one estate twenty people were burned to death 10 The authorities subjected prisoners to torture using electricity and scores of prisoners died as a result of torture beatings and forced labor 1 The authorities dumped many bodies into the sea Throw this shit into the sea to avoid troubles Gorgulho is quoted as advising 11 Aftermath editOn March 4 members of the Portuguese International and State Defense Police arrived to conduct an investigation into the alleged communist conspiracy They quickly concluded there was no such conspiracy and in April Sarmento Rodrigues the Minister of Overseas Territories ordered Gorgulho to return to Lisbon 12 He was promoted to the rank of general and praised by the Minister of the Army General Abranches Pinto for his actions Seven forros were tried and convicted for the killing of two police officers 12 The Batepa massacre marked the rise of the independence movement in Portuguese Sao Tome and Principe and is commemorated annually as a national holiday Dia de Martires da Liberdade on February 3 13 See also editList of massacres in Sao Tome and PrincipeReferences edit a b c Gallet Dominique 2008 01 01 Sao Tome et Principe Les iles du milieu du monde in French KARTHALA Editions pp 61 63 ISBN 9782811100254 Seibert 2005 pp 81 82 Francisco Alberto da Boa Morte 2011 Excorcising Devils from the Throne Sao Tome and Principe New York NY Algora Publishing p 25 ISBN 978 0 87586 846 2 Keese Alexander 2011 Early Limits of Local Decolonization in Sao Tome and Principe From Colonial Abuses to Postcolonial Disappointment 1945 1976 The International Journal of African Historical Studies 44 3 389 a b Seibert 2005 pp 66 67 Seibert 2005 p 70 Seibert 2005 pp 71 72 Lloyd Jones Stewart 2003 The Last Empire Thirty Years of Portuguese Decolonization Intellect pp 38 39 a b Seibert 2005 p 72 a b Seibert 2005 pp 73 74 Seibert 2005 p 78 a b Seibert 2005 pp 81 825 Neto Ricardo February 2 2018 Sao Tome e Principe recorda mais um 3 Fevereiro o 65º aniversario do Massacre de 1953 Seibert Gerhard 2005 Comrades Clients and Cousins Colonialism Socialism and Democratization in Sao Tome and Principe Boston Brill External links editLe massacre de fevrier 1953 a Sao Tome Raison d etre du nationalisme santomeen article by Gerhard Seibert University of Leiden 1996 97 in French 0 18 04 N 6 39 36 E 0 301 N 6 6601 E 0 301 6 6601 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Batepa massacre amp oldid 1180225096, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
