MONROVIA
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,
Fellow citizens and friends.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (TRC) is pleased to
report that following persistent and pain-staking inquiry by the TRC, a boy, 21,
has been reunited with his twin brother and elder sister following 18 years of
separation.
On January 8, 2008, the sister, Gladys, appeared at the TRC's January Public
Hearings in Monrovia and narrated how her late mother, Aba Arthur was beheaded
in a gruesome murder before her very eyes in exchange for her own life and
those of her twin brothers. The doer of the act, Mango Miller of the erstwhile
National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL),separated the children. Gladys
was sexually violated and subsequently abducted as a sexual slave of her mother's
murderer. Her twin brothers were taken away, never to be seen again.
Before her mother was killed, the family said prayers and the mother
madeGladys promise that she will take care of her brothers. She boldly
appeared before the TRC, after several days of individual counseling, to tell
her story in fulfillment of her promise to take care of her brothers. She
informed the TRC that one of her brothers, Mark, was rescued with the help of
Save the Children and that she had tried relentlessly to rescue her second
brother without success and that the very perpetrator, Mango Miller, was
demanding US$600.00 from her as a reward for returning her brother.
With this information, the demand for ransom and the clear commission of the
crime of kidnapping,the Ministry of Justice was invited to handle the
matter. Notwithstanding, the involvement of the Ministry of Justice did not
relieve the TRC of its duties and obligations. We continuously engaged the
Ministry of Justice and remained informed of the matter. Mango Miller was
arrested. He promised to cooperate and was subsequently released.
Our inquiry revealed that the little boy was part of a group of over 500
children abducted by Miller in the 1990's and distributed to his many friends
and relatives either as domestic or manual laborers on their farms or foster
children. Hence, Miller could not be definite aboutthe whereabouts of the
little boy. In short, the TRC became restless, but vigilant in our search for
the missing kid. Our efforts eventually paid off when he was discovered on a
farm and reconnected with his siblings. He had no idea his siblings were alive
and when he met his sister for the first time in many years he became withdrawn
and resentful believing his sister had abandoned him to die in the hands of
strangers. He ran away. After several days of hot pursuit and counseling, he
understood and is today present in Monrovia
with his brother and sister. In the last 10 years of captivity he has matured
in age and body but lacking in mental and intellectual development as he has
had no formal education since captivity. Amelia and her brother are seated here
with us and will make brief statements if they choose to do so. Miller, the
perpetrator, is also present at this conference.
We are satisfied that today, Gladys' wishes have been realized and her
promise to her heroic dead mother fulfilled. She, like many orphans who were
naturally forced into early adulthood without any family support, needs
assistance to continue her education disrupted by the war. We extend thanks to
the Ministry of Justice for its initial assistance and all those who cooperated
and facilitated our robust inquiry which has yielded this reunion.
Lastly, recent newspaper reports and radio broadcasts alleging financial
inducement or bribery by the Commission or one of its Commissioners to extract
false testimonies from a witness before the TRC Public Hearings in Monrovia
warrant a response at the first opportunity. We categorically declare that
these allegations are not only false and baseless but are also maliciously
designed to intimidate the Commission and bring it into disrepute so as to
influence its processes and the outcome of its work. The credibility of the
Commission and its commitment to the impartial fulfillment of its mandate
without fear or favor is beyond dispute and no amount of criminal coercion,
political or financial pressure will subdue this Commission or thwart the
course of its work.
We are not unaware that some elements in our society who oppose the
reconciliation and peace process will stop at no measure to frustrate the work
of the Commission. That they would allege the Commission or a Commissioner was
engaged in bribery orinduced a witness to recant his testimony and commit
perjury, points to the viciousness of individuals who refuse to acknowledge
their past as the first step towards forgiveness, reconciliation and the
restoration of their humanity. Instead they appear prepared to remain bereft of
their humanity, conceal the truth from the Liberian people in order to derail
an entire national process, only to assuage the ultra ego of some few. One may
bury the corpses of all the innocent people who died during the conflict period,
but one can never bury forever, the truth of what happened, and how thousands
of Liberians and foreigners alike died as innocent victims of a devastating
war.
It is of interest to note that these false allegations of bribery and
inducement surfaced on the very eve of the TRC Public Hearings in Buchanan, Grand
Bassa County.
Not surprisingly, the public was apparently not aware that there were desperate
attempts to influence the cancellation or postponement of the TRC hearings in
Buchanan. Therefore, we were not surprised that the false allegations surfaced
along with plans to disrupt the proceedings in Buchanan. Had it not been for
the steadfastness of Commissioners, the vigilance of the security forces in
Buchanan, including LNP and UNMIL, and the courageous stand of Grand Bassa
Superintendent, Hon Julia P Duncan Cassell, those sinisterplans would
have borne fruit. We salute the courage ofthe Superintendant of Grand
Bassa County, and extend to her our thanks and appreciation for the hospitality
she has so graciously accorded the TRC during its tour of duty in Buchanan, Grand
Bassa County.
We also extend appreciation to Hon Innis and Gabriel Smith of the Grand Bassa
County Legislative Caucus who, despite the foregoing background, graced the
occasion and called on their people to support the proceedings in Buchanan
which are beyond the interest of any one individual and for the benefit of all
Liberians.
We now call on all those who made these allegations to the mass media to go
beyond the media and inform the TRC in writing of the bribery allegations so
that a thorough investigation can be conducted and the truth of the allegations
established for the benefit of the process and of all Liberians.
We want to also seize this moment to thank everyone for their continuous
support to the TRC and assure the people of Liberia
that we will remain faithful to our mandate and keep the process moving forward.
We thank the Government of Liberia and the President of Liberia for all moral,
political and financialsupport to the TRC and our international partners
represented by the ICGL and other institutions for their institutional,
logistical and resourceful support to the TRC to guarantee its success.
Lastly, we remain confident without any iota of doubt that all those personalities
who, at one time or another played a leading role in the Liberian crisis from 1979
to 2003, irrespective of status or roles, will yield to the invitation of the TRC
to appear before it when called upon without the use of compulsory process. The
TRC is for all Liberians and will reach out to all Liberians. All Liberians
must support it as part of our peace formula so that war and impunity will be
things of the past.
THANK YOU!
