Myrna Mack
Encyclopedia
Myrna Mack Chang was a Guatemala
n anthropologist
.
She was born in Barrio San Nicolás, Retalhuleu
department
, to a mixed Maya
/Chinese
family. She studied anthropology in the United Kingdom
, at both the University of Manchester
and Durham University
.
Upon returning to Guatemala, she conducted fieldwork among several of the many Maya campesino communities uprooted during the Civil War
. She was assassinated outside her office in Guatemala City
(stabbed 27 times) by an armed forces
death squad (allegedly educated by the School of the Americas) because she knew too much. In April 2004, following a judgment issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
, the Guatemalan government publicly recognized that its agents had committed the killing and provided her next-of-kin with a compensation package.
Her sister Helen Mack
was honored with a Right Livelihood Award
in 1992 "for her personal courage and persistence in seeking justice and an end to the impunity of political murderers."
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n anthropologist
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
.
She was born in Barrio San Nicolás, Retalhuleu
Retalhuleu (department)
Retalhuleu is a department located in the south-west of Guatemala, extending from the mountains to the Pacific Ocean coast. It has an area of 1856 km². In 2002 the population of the Department of Retalhuleu was 241,411. The capital is the city of Retalhuleu....
department
Departments of Guatemala
||Guatemala is divided into 22 departments :#Alta Verapaz#Baja Verapaz#Chimaltenango#Chiquimula#Petén#El Progreso#El Quiché#Escuintla#Guatemala#Huehuetenango#Izabal#Jalapa#Jutiapa#Quetzaltenango#Retalhuleu#Sacatepéquez...
, to a mixed Maya
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
/Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
family. She studied anthropology in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, at both the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
and Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
.
Upon returning to Guatemala, she conducted fieldwork among several of the many Maya campesino communities uprooted during the Civil War
Guatemalan Civil War
The Guatemalan Civil War ran from 1960-1996. The thirty-six-year civil war began as a grassroots, popular response to the rightist and military usurpation of civil government , and the President's disrespect for the human and civil rights of the majority of the population...
. She was assassinated outside her office in Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
(stabbed 27 times) by an armed forces
Military of Guatemala
The Military of Guatemala consists of National Army of Guatemala , the Guatemalan Navy and the Guatemalan Air Force ....
death squad (allegedly educated by the School of the Americas) because she knew too much. In April 2004, following a judgment issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States , which serves to uphold and...
, the Guatemalan government publicly recognized that its agents had committed the killing and provided her next-of-kin with a compensation package.
Her sister Helen Mack
Helen Mack Chang
Helen Mack Chang is a Guatemalan businesswoman and human rights activist. She became an outspoken advocate for human rights after her sister, anthropologist Myrna Mack Chang, was assassinated by the Guatemalan military on September 11, 1990....
was honored with a Right Livelihood Award
Right Livelihood Award
The Right Livelihood Award, also referred to as the "Alternative Nobel Prize", is a prestigious international award to honour those "working on practical and exemplary solutions to the most urgent challenges facing the world today". The prize was established in 1980 by Jakob von Uexkull, and is...
in 1992 "for her personal courage and persistence in seeking justice and an end to the impunity of political murderers."
External links
- Fundación Myrna Mack (Spanish)
- Myrna Mack (Human Rights Defenders)
- Mack v. Guatemala (IACHR case file)
- Mack v. Guatemala (IACHR judgement; PDF)