WHERE WERE YOU WHEN WE MARCHED FOR FREEDOM
By Nvasekie Konneh
July 28, 2004

In his published speech, The Dynamics of the Liberian war: How can we judge the participants, Mr. Aagon Tingban asked, "Where are the human rights lawyers, activists and institutions of the Tiawan Gongloe and Hassan Bility match [march] on Washington days? Have we achieved our goals with the departure of Taylor? Are there no more collective calls for matching [marching] on Washington? How about collectively matching [marching] to sustain the peace in Liberia and for the establishment of war crimes tribunal? Well, history is watching and I am only trying to play a little role of a gadfly."

As one of the organizers of these specific demonstrations Mr. Tingban is referring to, I feel compelled to respond. When we demonstrated in Washington DC, we did so because some Liberians were being illegally detained and tortured by the dictatorial regime of Charles Taylor. I am proud that, under the banner of the National Civil Rights Movement, we stood up to Charles Taylor, and demonstrated for the release of Hassan Bility, Aloysius Toe, Sheik Sackor and others.

But I find Mr. Tingban's questions ironic because he refused to participate in the above-mentioned demonstrations. Letters of invitation were given to his organization, the Association Of Liberian Youths in Pennsylvania (ALYP), to join the organizing efforts. During their deliberation of the letters, Mr. Tingban and some other members of their organization decided they could not participate because they thought it was "ethnically motivated," meaning that most of those who were being detained and tortured were Mandingoes, and because the majority of those demonstrating for their release were also Mandingoes. The NCRM also participated in demonstrations organized by the Concerned Liberians Organization and the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), even though we did not receive any official letters of invitation. We went to those demonstrations as a matter of solidarity with our fellow Liberians. At any of those demonstrations, I did not see Mr. Tingban. To ALYP’s credit, two of its members, Mr. Sekou Korleh and Mr. Blyden Kennedy attended the NCRM’s demonstrations in their individual capacities.

In asking others to do something, one is likely to be successful if he or she has worked toward that something. So my advice to Mr. Tingban and to the few others that may now find it expedient to speak out is that if they strongly believe that a demonstration is necessary, they should plan one, or should work with other individuals, irrespective of religion or ethnicity.

Instead of asking why we are not demonstrating now, I may as well ask Mr. Tingban why he did not participate in any of the demonstrations that took place yesterday against human right abuses, and for peace and democracy in our dear country, Liberia? If he says he had problem with us calling for demonstration, why he did not participate in demonstrations organized by other Liberian organizations such as ULAA or the Concerned Liberians?