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Slavery and Forced Labour

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Slavery and Forced Labour REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY INTO THE EXISTENCE OF SLAVERY AND FORCED LABOUR IN THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA Monrovia, Liberia — August 1930. Members: Dr. Cuthbert C h r is t y , League of Nations, Chairman. Dr. Charles Spurgeon J o h n s o n , America. Hon. Arthur B a r c l a y , Liberia. 1 CONTENTS. Page Inception of the Commission....................... 5 Introduction : Terms of R e f e r e n c e .................................................................................... 7 Slavery and Analogous Practices. A. Common or Classic Slavery : Domestic S la v e r y ................................................................. 12 P a w n in g ........................................................................................................................................ 14 B. Oppressive Conditions analogous to Slavery : Sinoe ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Wedabo................................ 19 The Traffic in “ Boys ” .......................................................................... 22 The Pressure of F in e s ............................................................................................................ 25 Raiding of Villages for M e n .................................................................................................. 26 Libreville : Kidnapping............................................................................................................ 30 Testimony of Labourers............................................................................................................ 32 The Fernando Po Agreem ents.............................................................................................. 35 Statements concerning Recruiting P o lic y ...................................................................... 38 Transhipment of L a b o u r ....................................................................................................... 42 Pay for Repatriated L a b o u r e r s......................................................................................... 44 Some Consequences of the Practice.................................................................................... 46 Forced or Compulsory Labour. A. Forced Labour for P ublic P urposes : 1. Road C onstruction.......................................................................................................................... 48 (a) No Pay for L a b o u r......................................................................................... 53 (b) Tools and F o o d .................................................................................................. 56 (c) Road Q uotas....................................................................................................... 58 (d) Road F i n e s ....................................................................................................... 60 (e) Ill-treatment of Labourers........................................................................... 61 (/) Intimidation and E x to r tio n ...................................................................... 69 2. Public Works : B u ild in g s................................................................................ 71 3. Porterage......................................................................................................................................... 74 B. Forced Labour for Private E nterprise : 1. Government and Private Farms ..................................................................................... 75 2. Corporations and Companies : Firestone Plantations C om pany....................... 77 The Commission’s F in d in g s ................................................................................ 83 Suggestions and R ecommendations................................................................................................... 84 Appendices : I. Proclamation .............................................................................................................................. 93 II. Terms of R e fe r e n c e ..................................................................................................................... 94 Further Testimony before the Commission : III. Montserrado County..................................................................................................................... 94 IV. Sinoe C o u n t y .............................................................................................................................. 102 V. Maryland County ..................................................................................................................... 103 Documents, etc. VI. Proposed Shipment of Labourers A c t ............................................................................... 107 VII. The Fernando Po Agreement of 1 9 2 8 ............................................................................... 107 VIII. Radiograms relating to the Sinoe In c id e n t.................................................................. 109 IX. Paramount Chief Jeh’s C om plaints.................................................................................... 112 X. Paramount Chief Broh of Frenropo’s S tatem ent............................................................ 117 XI. President’s Decision on the Wedabo In c id e n t............................................................. 120 XII. Paramount Chief Gofa of Topo’s C om plaints................................................................... 121 XIII. Grievances of Chief Yarn of S u e h n ..................................................................................... 124 XIV. Headmen’s Complaint of Non-payment in the Massaquoi Incident.................... 126 XV. Complaint of the Nemiah People regarding the Fishtown-Garroway Incidents 127 XVI. Fear of the A f t e r ......................................................................................................................... 128 [Communiqué au Conseil N° officiel: C.658.M.272. 1930. VI. et aux Membres de la Société.] Genève, le 15 décembre 1930. SOCIETE DES NATIONS COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE D’ENQUETE AU LIBERIA COMMUNICATION DU GOUVERNEMENT DE LIBERIA en date du 15 décembre 1930 transmettant le RAPPORT DE LA COMMISSION Note du Secrétaire général : Le Secrétaire général a l’honneur de communiquer au Conseil et aux Membres de la Société une lettre, en date du 15 décembre 1930, du Délégué permanent de la République de Libéria auprès de la Société des Nations ainsi que le rapport de la Commission internationale d’enquête y annexé que, d’ordre de son Gouvernement, le Délégué permanent de la République de Libéria a transmis au Secrétaire général. Série de Publications de la Société des Nations VI.B. ESCLAVAGE 1930. VI.B.6. — I l l — LETTRE DU DÉLÉGUÉ PERMANENT DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE DE LIBÉRIA AU SECRÉTAIRE GÉNÉRAL DE LA SOCIÉTÉ DES NATIONS Délégation permanente de la République de Libéria auprès de la Société des Nations. L L 1072 G e n è v e , le 15 décembre 1930. Me référant à mes lettres des 16 septembre et 14 octobre 1929, des 8 et 15 février et du 14octobre 1930 j ’ai l’honneur de vous soumettre, ci-joint, copie du rapport sur l’esclavage et le travail forcé dans la République de Liberia, que la Commission internationale d’enquête, saisie par mon gouvernement le 8 avril 1930, lui a soumis, après cinq mois de travail. Ainsi qu’il découle de ce rapport, la Commission d’enquête a constaté : i° Que, bien que l’esclavage, dans son acception classique comportant l’idée de marchés et trafiquants d’esclaves, n’existe plus dans la République de Libéria, par contre, il existe des cas d’esclavage domestique d’une tribu à l’autre et au sein de chaque tribu, ainsi que des cas du système de mise en gage (Pawn system) ; 2° Que l’esclavage domestique a toujours été réprouvé et découragé par mon gouver­ nement. Tout esclave faisant appel aux tribunaux pour être affranchi, ou exerçant des poursuites contre son maître pour mauvais traitements, a toujours été déclaré libre et affranchi ; 30 Qu’il n’y a pas eu des preuves que des notables du pays aient participé à l’esclavage domestique ; par contre, il existe des preuves que des Americano-Libériens ont pris des indigènes en gage en en faisant souvent un usage abusif ; 40 Que le travail forcé ou obligatoire a été utilisé dans la République de Libéria pour des œuvres d’utilité publique (construction des routes, casernes, etc.). Mais, dans certains cas, la main-d’œuvre recrutée par les inspecteurs de comté et les commissaires de district, pour des travaux d’utilité publique, a été utilisée, à titre privé, dans les fermes et plantations des hauts fonctionnaires du gouvernement et des particuliers ; 5° Que le recrutement d’une partie de travailleurs engagés par contrat et expédiés à destination de Fernando Po et du Gabon français a été parfois accompagné de mesures de contrainte, rappelant, aux yeux de la Commission, quelques caractères de la traite d’esclaves ; 6° Que la main-d’œuvre employée pour des fins privées sur des plantations apparte­ nant à des particuliers a été recrutée avec l’autorisation de hauts fonctionnaires du gou­ vernement ; 7° Que le Vice-Président de la République, l’Honorable Sir Yancy, et d’autres hauts fonctionnaires du gouvernement ainsi que des inspecteurs de comtés et des commissaires de district ont sanctionné le recrutement forcé de la main-d’œuvre, destinée soit à cons­
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