Statements are formal stories and information provided to the Commission by members of the public. They are the primary source of information from which the Commission will make its findings, but are also used in conjunction with documentary evidence, video footage, transcripts, scholarly work and other available information.

Statements are important not only as a source of information, but also because they provide the opportunity for a wide variety of people from the community to make their stories and perspectives heard, in their own words.

This dual purpose means that statements allow the Commission to not only work toward establishing an accurate public record of what happened, but also to add a human dimension to the events and increase understanding across different sectors of a divided community.