So was it ok for EOKA to act as judge/jury and executioner and snuff out the lives of any GC who disagreed with their methods or who refused to fight for EOKA's cause...? It would seem to me that there is some truth to the opinions I have heard that many GC's were in fact living in fear of EOKA and afraid to speak out against them.
Were EOKA qualified to act as judge and jury on the matter..? I gather from what I have read here that there were approx 300 men who formed the basic EOKA movement....was there an experienced judge among them..?
Your analogy seems a little weak. I guess the same thing can be said about a Fighter Bomber flying overhead and dropping it's smart guided or dumb unguided ordnance. Is the Pilot both Judge and Jury. I don't think so. But he or she is trained to serve that which is their duty. They are a soldier fighting a war and to serve their country. Does this ordnance kill enemy soldiers? It certainly does. It may also kill innocent civilians, because all that is required is to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Evagoras Pallikaridis as an example was sentenced to death by a Judge. He was sentenced to death by a Judge for being in possession of a non functioning weapon for heavens sake. There was no proof that he had killed anyone, and I challenge anyone to provide valid evidence to the contrary. He also tore down a flag and was accused of assaulting 2 British soldiers. Does all of this warrant the death penalty?
You seem to forget, that the EOKA fighters were fighting a WAR against a numerically superior and more powerful army that was occupying and oppressing the Cypriot people. From what I have been told by my family, a few Cypriots were collaborating with the enemy for financial or other gains. By doing so, they automatically also became the enemy, and as such they became an enemy combatant because they provided the British with intelligence that betrayed EOKA fighters. These collaborators made themselves a target for betraying EOKA fighters, which no doubt led to the capture, torture, and execution of these brave young men. And with the blessing of the majority of the Cypriot population, these EOKA fighters had to make judgement calls on what they had to do for their cause and also to defend themselves from ultimate betrayal. IMHO!
Paphitis you persist in asking my opinion of these men. I can see why self rule and independence from the UK was wanted by some Cypriots, however, from what I have read so far, I don't think I can agree that an armed uprising against the British was the best option to pursue...especially in view of the fact that so many civilians were put to death by EOKA.
Whether it was the best option or not is something does not interest me in the slightest. The Iraq war may not have been the best option either. And yet my country still sent troops to Iraq. To this day I wonder what ideals they are fighting for, not that this should detract from the fact that they are serving their country, with no questions asked. The EOKA struggle is different, because they had the noble cause of fighting for the self determination of Cypriots. They were fighting for your freedom and liberty in our very own land.
I have also had the privilege of growing up and to have served what I consider to be a pretty descent country. And in my country, young kids are brought up to respect and honor all our fallen soldiers. We have a remembrance day on the 25th of April of each year, commonly known as "Anzac Day". During this day all the fallen of my nation are honored for their sacrifice, whether that be WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq. All service personnel, both past and present are also thanked for their contributions in serving the country. It disgusts me that the same respect and honor does not seem to be extended by some Cypriots towards those brave EOKA boys who did the same for Cyprus. In fact I am absolutely disgusted at some of the comments made on this forum by some members. This leaves me extremely disappointed and at times leaves me to question my very Cypriotness out of frustration.
The EOKA movement is just like many other movements for self determination and freedom. Another member previously had made the comparison between the EOKA movement and the American Revolution. Both campaigns were done for the exact same reasons. They were both for self determination and freedom from British rule. In both conflicts, both soldiers and even civilians were killed. The difference is that I have never heard any Americans question, belittle their campaign against the British. It is sad that some Cypriots do not see it to be befitting to honor their fallen for making the ultimate sacrifice so that future generations have better lives and better futures as independent and free citizens of the island. This is something that I am not use to. I can not fathom at the disrespect shown to what I consider superior and very special human beings. Human Beings who died in the battle field for our self determination. Human Beings who walked to the gallows with their hands held high, having done what they did for their country Cyprus, and singing the national anthem right until their final plunge to death! IMHO!
As I understand it Cyprus was going to get its independence from the UK anyway like so many other countries did. So if that was the the case then what did EOKA actually achieve..? Did they bring Independence forward a little..? If so were the lives lost worth it..?
As far as I know, the British were not at all interested or keen in granting self determination to the Cypriots as the island was considered a vital strategic asset to the Empire, particularly after the loss of the Suez Canal. The EOKA campaign commenced due to Britain's unwillingness to grant any form of self determination. During the late 1950s the strategic importance of the island changed and Britain decided that it only required 2 SBA's to meet their strategic interests in the region. This evolution may also have changed as a result of the EOKA armed campaign and the mounting toll.
You seem to suggest otherwise and I challenge you to post a credible link in order to back up your claim. IMHO!
My conclusion, so far, am still learning you understand, is that....Yes I admire EOKA's aspirations for Independence but I do not, based on what I have read here and what I have been told by GC friends, admire their methods.
From what I have been told by my relatives is that most Cypriots if not all, were sympathetic to the EOKA campaign. None of my relatives feared EOKA, but then again they never compromised their position by collaborating with the British. All Cypriots sympathised with the movement and many were involved in ANE or by demonstrating in the streets. No one feared EOKA, except for those that had reason to do so because they collaborated or assisted the enemy.
I feel compelled to say that perhaps the same respect and honor should not be extended to EOKA B. This is because I feel compelled to condemn any actions undertaken by extremists who had committed atrocities against TCs. I also feel compelled to condemn any EOKA B action which assisted in the Greek Coup D'etat against Makarios in 1974. IMHO!
