"Colonial Violence" pages 599-600

Because of the newly made Colonial States, people, or the natives were forced to participate in unpaid public labor for example working on the railroad or making buildings. In French Africa they were "legally obligated for statute labor" (Strayer 599). According to thefreedictionary.com, statute labor is "a definite amount of labor required for the public service in making roads, bridges, etc., as in certain English colonies." The people were required to do these tasks and if they didn't they would be severely punished. In Congo, which appeared in my reading, the people were required to search for and collect rubber. Rubber was in high demand because of the bicycles and car wheels and so if the people were unable to come up with the required amount, they would be killed. A worker talks of his experience with this is says "when we failed and our rubber was short, the soldiers came to our towns and killed us. Many were shot, some had their ears cut off; others were tied up with ropes round their necks and taken away," and this clearly depicts the cruel acts that were inflicted in these people for trying their bests to fulfill the wishes of their "masters." This also shows the selfishness that the soldiers or "white men" had and that they had no respect what so ever for the workers. They didn't care what happened to them as long as they got their rubber. This is really awful to think about and to think that people would do such a thing. There is a picture in the textbook on page 600 that shows to boys who had their hands chopped off I think and it is justatrocious that that could be done to someone. I clearly can't relate to the authorities in this situation because I don't believe that you should inflict pain on others because they didn't supply you with enough of something. If they really needed or wanted it that bad then why didn't they just work and get it. It just doesn't make sense to me to punish others for their lack of satisfaction.

Information from:

Ways of The World by Robert W. Strayer (pages 599-600)

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Statute+labor