Thousands of interviews with survivors of the war fill in the details. Estimates of killings and disappearances hover around the 100,000 and 40,000 figures, respectively. Most victims were nonfighting citizens. Exhuming dozens of mass graves and burial pits started in 1991 when the government and leftist guerrillas declared peace. Many questions remain unanswered since many of the alleged perpetrators remain in power within the government and military.
Some military officials claim the mass grave sites are victims of past earthquakes.
As the government and military attempt to shift blame, they continue to refuse to hand over significant documents. A few military officials have come forward, but not enough. Since 1997, Guatemala's Historical Clarification Commission began an examination of thousands of human rights violations that took place in Guatemala during the bloody conflict between 1960 and 1996. Guatemalan authorities are accused of withholding certain information requested by the commission and are restricting access to military installations. The principal goal of the commission, as with any human rights violations aftermath, is to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.