The fate of translators in conflict areas

The fate of translators in conflict areas

Iwan Dzulvan Amir, Australian National, University, Canberra

It was a bizarre mix of feelings I experienced when I heard of
the planned court trial of two foreigners -- Joy-Lee Sadler and
Lesley McCulloch, the latter a dear friend and colleague, who is
recognized as a good academic. They are highly likely to be
deported from the country after weeks in police custody in Aceh.

I am also extremely worried about the ordeal of their Acehnese
translator, Fitrah binti Amin. Her fate received little attention
in the world's media. Some got her name wrong, while the UK's
Mail on Sunday for instance, omitted her name altogether,
referring to her simply as "a local female interpreter".

Such "selective humanizing" in this coverage harks back to
19th century images of an insignificant native porter serving the
famous big white hunter in some wild and remote jungle. Even The
Jakarta Post on Sept. 18 published an article by Dr. Damien
Kingsbury devoting a mere 30 words to Fitrah, ending with a lame
excuse, "this is so often the case", with reference to her fate.

It seems none of the journalists bothered to interview any of
Fitrah's acquaintances, even though advanced communication
technology is available in Aceh. Both foreigners were portrayed
as individuals, while their local interpreter was a supplementary
footnote.

Fitrah is now in deep trouble and her status seems uncertain.
She has no protection from embassy or consular officials. As a
student in Aceh, it is highly unlikely she can afford good legal
representation. Therefore, her future prospects are endlessly
gloomy, ranging from social isolation to doing time in prison as
well as outright execution by another nameless gunman: All are
common scenarios in Aceh.

Though not imprisoned, she is now required to report regularly
to the police. This will undoubtedly alienate her from
antigovernment Acehnese because of her "compromised" status --
and alienated from progovernment Acehnese because she was caught
in supposedly GAM-held territory.

She will also be alienated from ordinary Acehnese simply
because they fear she will "bring trouble", either from GAM or
the authorities. Her troubles have only just begun and she will
have to face them without the support of her two companions when
they are deported.

As a social researcher one must, first and foremost, protect
the safety of informants during fieldwork. Fitrah, despite her
dismissal by the media as a mere translator, was an active
participant and informant in the fieldwork.

Since she, legally an Indonesian citizen, was caught in the
company of foreigners in the middle of a prolonged conflict
involving international parties, she is open to accusations of
espionage, if not treason.

As an Acehnese caught in known GAM territory, she is open to
accusations in court of being a GAM collaborator. As she is a
student -- quite unlike a researcher in the employ of a
prestigious university -- in the eyes of the authorities
she has lowly and vulnerable status. I can only hope that the
presiding judge will be lenient when examining her case.

In short, she has much more to lose than her two foreign
companions in the event of trouble with the local authorities.
When the research is done such interpreters will have to live
with the very real consequences of both the process and outcome
of the research.

The writer has an MPhil. in Anthropology from the Australian
National University. He lived in Aceh for six years and wrote his
masters thesis on Acehnese women.