However , political contingencies could in certain cases necessitate some degree of denial ( or at least holding back the entire truth ) in order to promote a recovery and re-building a society . This approach is especially conspicuous in post-conflict societies where the prevailing power constellation might require a political trade-off in regard to past committed wrongs . This aspect was true in post-Apartheid South Africa where the perpetrating group was still in possession of power ( judicial , police , army ) , risking political instability if they were put on trial and risked punishment . This was , among others , one of the main reasons for granting amnesty in exchange for confessing to committed errors during the transitional period in South Africa . However , the society at large and the victims in particular will perceive this kind of tradeoffs as " morally suspect , " and sooner or later will question its sustainability . Thus , a common refrain in regard to the Final Report ( 1998 ) by South Africa 's Truth and Reconciliation Commission was " We 've heard the truth . There is even talk about reconciliation . But where 's the justice ? " The denial has thereby a direct negative impact on the development of a society , often by undermining its laws and the issue of justice , but also the level of democracy itself . If democracy is meant to be built on the rule of law and justice , upheld and safeguarded by state institutions , then surely the omission of legal consequences and justice would potentially undermine the democracy . What is more dangerous from a historical point of view is that such a default would imply the subsequent loss of the meaning of these events to future generations , a loss which is resembled to " losing a moral compass . " The society becomes susceptible to similar wrongdoings in the absence of proper handling of preceding occasions . Nonetheless , denial , especially immediately after the committed wrongdoings , is rather the rule than the exception and naturally almost exclusively done by the perpetrator in order to escape responsibility . In some cases , e.g. the Armenian Genocide , this denial is done explicitly , while in some other cases , e.g. in the case of the " Comfort women " and the role of the Japanese State , the denial is more implicit . The latter was evident in how an overwhelmingly majority of the surviving victims refused to accept a monetary compensation since the Japanese government still refused to admit its own responsibility ( the monetary compensation was paid through a private fund rather than by the state , a decision perceived by the victims about state 's refusal to assume any direct responsibility )
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Genocide denial