Chapter 10 - “We Watch them”: Building Trust in the Absence of Openness

Summary

“YOU ARE A BLOODY REBEL!”: ON THE FRONT LINE

April 3, 2003.

Incident during a poda poda ride, recounted by Umaroh, my interpreter It started when the driver gave the policeman 1000 leones. The policeman said the money is too small. So (the driver) gave the 2000 leones to the apprentice so that the apprentice would collect the first 1000 leones that was given. So the policeman became off ended. He said “Now, what I’m going to tell you. You offload everything. You put down all your load and you tell the passengers to bring down their luggage to check.”

So they were there arguing. He said, “OK, what I’m doing is discretional. OK, I’m a security. The one that I feel to search, I’ll search. The one that I feel is safe, I’ll allow it to go.” So there came in (a youth) who said… “I think we have peace now. I think we have peace now. Please allow us to go. This is partial. This is partial. Not the right thing. Look at the other vehicles are going. You did not check them. Only our vehicle.”

So the policeman continued to say that “Oh, this is discretional. I am the security here… I’m doing a special job because this is security. Any vehicle that I’m not satisfied with, I’m going to check it. It's discretional. It's discretional.”

So the boy continued to say “We have been condoning this for years. Ten years war. We have been suff ering. Now it is peace. Please allow us to go. Don't delay us here. Look at the other vehicles. Look at the government bus. Why can't you check the government bus?”

And the policeman said, “Yes, you’ve already said that. It's a government bus. That's a government vehicle. No need to check a government bus, let me tell you.” Then there came in another policeman who said (to the youth), “You are the one that's collaborating. You are a rebel, in fact… You are a bloody rebel! You are the one that's collaborating! You are the one that's condoning this war. We are trying to check. We are suff ering. We are fighting for you people.