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Untruth

I was appalled to find the notorious phrase 'Polish concentration camp' in John Cornwell's article in Postmagazine on August 9.

It is amazing how long this untruth can survive, despite hundreds of letters from the Polish community to editors around the world and occasional retractions. Here we go again - 'Polish concentration camps' has reached as far as Hong Kong.

To set the record straight: During World War II Poland was one of the Allied nations fighting Nazi Germany along with Britain and the other Allies. In September 1939 the territory of Poland was occupied by Germany and the USSR, and remained under Nazi occupation until 1945.

Poland did not run any concentration camps - the Germans did it on our soil, and the Poles constituted a substantial part of their victims.

Thus, the phrase 'Polish concentration camp' is offensive to Poles, misleading and incorrect. It should always read: 'German (or Nazi) concentration camps in occupied Poland'.

ANNA NIEWIADOMSKA

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