Open Letter To Gyude Bryant

(Letter)


The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

August 26, 2003


Dear Sir:

Your recent pronouncement that your Interim Government will not pursue a War Crimes Tribunal in any form overstepped your mandate. That statement is an indication of the type of uniliteralism that is not only very dangerous, but would divide our people and erode any support for you among the "non-criminal elements and victims of the "War for Wealth." That position assumes that Liberians welcome and deserve the suffering that was meted out to them by the few. Either that or the vast majority of Liberia's participated in this carnage for jobs.

You have to revisit that position and I will propose a face-saving way out for you: (1) Hold a referendum in the refugee camps around Monrovia to determine as to whether the people would like to see these criminals given a blanket pardon. Such a move would also broaden you support base from the barrel of the gun to the wider Liberian community. (2) Have the UN conduct a survey among the Liberian population in Monrovia, who are also representative of the general citizenry to solicit their views on your "appeasement of criminals."

I know you are not accountable to me or any other Liberian, who do not belong to a political party or faction, but we also have a right to DEMAND JUSTICE.

A. Sayku Kromah
Philadelphia, USA