Lay People's Views About Truth Commissions

The article discusses the results of two complementary surveys that were conducted to examine the viewpoints of two samples of lay people, one from East Timor, and the other from Togo, about the Truth Commissions' (TC) stated objectives, functions, powers, and composition. It notes that 91 % of the participants agreed that after a politically very troubled period, the recourse to these types of commissions is needed. Most of the respondents also agreed that the commission members must be independent from the government and that these types of commissions must hear any person who solicits a hearing. The 11 theoretical aspirations for TCs as identified by Martha Minow are also cited.