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November 4th, 2006 | categorizilation: all categories,Tajikistan

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Dushanbe is a great city. Tree lined streets, western food, friendly locals…

There is a darker side however. That side dwels within the police force. If you ever needed a recipe for corruption, just look at how the Tajikistan system works. It is remarkably simple.

Step one: Pay your police a salary that is too little to support a family.

OK, there is only one step.

I do not know the exact amount that the military/police force are being paid here in Tajikistan, but I do know that a guy visiting Achmed yesterday was working as a lecturer at a local university, and receiving a salary of 7 Tajikistan Somoni (US$2) a month. To put this in perspective, a slab of flat bread the size of a dinner plate costs 0.5 Smoni (50 Diram).

Just for your information, the legal minimum wage in Tajikistan was only recently raised to US$1 a month.

With this information in mind, let me tell you a story. It revolves around these two photos:

Tourist beware! A photo like this may cost you (Dushanbe, Tajikistan) / ã”注æ„ãã ã•ã„。ドウシャンベ市ã®è­¦å¯Ÿã¯å±ãªã„!(タジキスタン)

Tourist beware! A photo like this may cost you (Dushanbe, Tajikistan) / ã”注æ„ãã ã•ã„。ドウシャンベ市ã®è­¦å¯Ÿã¯å±ãªã„!(タジキスタン)

I rolled up to the big statue of Ismoil Somoni in the center of Dushanbe early one morning this week, and got my camera out, ready to take some photos. The ever present police officer noticed this, and briskly trotted over.

“You, Somoni, photograph? Yes?” the very friendly police officer said, inidicating that he would kindly take a photo of me in front of the statue.

“That’s very kind of you” I replied.

The officer tries three times to take a photo before he figures out that the camera needs to focus, and then take the photo. The end result is a blurry photo, but I can’t be bothered going through the rigmarole of doing a lecture on how the camera works.

“Clock is over there. Photo?” askes the officer.

I figure why not.

Again a blurry photo.

At this stage I am ready to say thank you and leave, however the officer then indicates to the back of the statue, and tells me there is an interesting map.

At this point, for some reason I am getting suspicious. Perhaps it was because of the officer’s sideways glances as we walked, as if he was making sure no one was following or watching. It had a lot to do with the fact that it was still dark, and we were going to the back of a large statue, where no one from the street could see.

“I take photo. You, map” says the officer, once again far too enthusiastically.

I decide to clear the air. “This isn’t costing me money, is it?” I ask.

A puzzled look from the officer.

“Money. Denge, denge, niet, da?” I ask. (Denge = money, niet = no)

Once again the officer glances around, and then says in a perfect English accent “Five Somoni”.

Looking back on this experience, there is no reason why I should not have given him the money. I mean, it is only about US$1.50. But at the time I felt thoroughly violated. What I thought was a friendly jesture, was really a ploy all along to get money out of the ignorant tourist.

Anyway, I walked away in disgust, the officer trotting along behind me for a few meters essentially begging for money.

Now, once again, keep this episode in mind, as I tell you about another story invovling the Somoni statue in Dushanbe.

This time, I walked up to the statue, being careful not to make eye contact with the police officer (a different officer this time). I managed to get the shot below before a ‘friendly’ officer strolled up and offered to take my photo in front of the statue.

Somoni statue, Dushanbe, Tajikistan / ソモニåƒ(タジキスタンã€ãƒ‰ã‚¦ã‚·ãƒ£ãƒ³ãƒ™)

I said quite firmly, no. The officer persisted with “No problem, photo, photo!”.

The second time I said no, perhaps I said it a little too forcefully, because the officer looked put out.

“Document!” the officer spitted. This means that the officer wishes to see your passport.

I almost took out my original passport when I remembered that I had a copy in my pocket. So I handed the photocopy over.

He looked at the paper for a few moments, and said “American, yes?”.

Welcome to my number one irritation when it comes to police in this country.

You’re holding my passport copy and looking at it! Why even ask for it if you can’t read it?!

Well, that’s what I wanted to say. Instead I said no, New Zealand.

The officer once again looked at my passport, then at me, and then at the passport. He indicated that I have no beard in the passport photo. Amazing observation skills.

Incredulously (I still can’t believe he tried this on), the officer then says “Five Somoni!”. It is clear that he wants me to pay a fine for having a different appearance to that in my passport photo.

I begin to walk away in disgust.

“Stop! Document.” yells the officer.

I turn around and he is holding out my passport copy. I walk over to take it, and just as I am about to take it, he snatches it back and says “Five Somoni!”.

“Keep it!” I say, and once again turn and begin walking away.

“OK,OK” the officer says, and once again holds the passport copy out.

I gingerly take the paper, feeling like the little brother whose big brother keeps teasing you by doing the snatching and just-keeping-the-thing-out-of-reach game.

So the moral of this story is that the police ‘guarding’ the Somoni statue in Dushanbe are harmless enough, but are fairly persistant.

Maybe it would make life easier just to pay them five somoni upright, and then they would let you alone. Or perhaps that’s exactly what they want…

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    Permanent Link     Comments (10)

Comment by Aunty Les — November 4, 2006 @ 3:10 pm | post a comment

You also have to remember that as a foreigner (American, of course) you have money coming out your ears!

Comment by Chris J — November 4, 2006 @ 3:51 pm | post a comment

Hi Rob,

You are certainly better at dealing with the friendly locals than I am…

I was wondering about your pace so far. Sorry to learn that you can't make it to Turkey as planned to meet up with your host family. But, you know what they say about plans…They never survive first contact with the enemy…

Comment by Rob Thomson — November 4, 2006 @ 7:54 pm | post a comment

Chris J, all the attention that the recumbent bike brings is getting on my nerves though. It attracts kids like flies…It's only a matter of time before I lash out.

Hmmmm. That's a good idea…maybe if I shoot one, the rest will get the idea and keep away!

Comment by rob — November 4, 2006 @ 8:43 pm | post a comment

Recumbent issues…..

The key to it, is to pretend your not on one.

When you pull up alongside someone and they look at you strangely, or a huge crowd gathers around you. Convince yourself that they are just fascinated by your beard or your elbows. Never your recumbent.

I'm growing a beard now because I'm not convinced by the elbow theory.

Comment by Jim Gagnepain — November 5, 2006 @ 2:51 am | post a comment

Interesting! Sounds like Jamaica, except I was never accosted by police wanting a handout in Jamaica.

Comment by Aunty Jenny — November 5, 2006 @ 12:25 pm | post a comment

In a way, one has to feel sory for the poor police who are basically working for nothing! I guess they will try to make money any way they can, but as you say, it sure opens the police force wide open to corruption. I wonder if the powers that be have figured that one out yet! Your photo story reminds me of when I was in Paris, and there are people around the Eiffel Tower and other prominent tourist places, who offer to take your photo, and then once taken, want a huge sum of money for it. I don't know if its still like that, but it was when I was there years ago. Not nice.

Comment by Dad — November 5, 2006 @ 5:54 pm | post a comment

Rob,

Hearing of how people are treated in other parts of the world make us very thankfull for our culture and heritage here.

It looks like the trip is going to take a little bit longer than you thought! It was interesting to hear of the other cyclists that you have met up with. I guess it will be good for you to know that others have travelled the same path.

We think of you often,

Love

Dad

Comment by matt — November 6, 2006 @ 5:42 pm | post a comment

ive had similar experiences in other places – you kindof expect it in poor places. was funny though when crossing the mexican-guatemalan border we had people that looked like street people asking for money when crossing the bridge, asking for money after spraying our van with stuff, it was all so unofficial we thought they were trying to scam us like your nice policemen, and like weve experienced in other places. turns out that they were actually just doing there jobs afterall!!

Comment by Ben — November 24, 2006 @ 5:12 pm | post a comment

Your post made me smile, as we made exactly the same experience some weeks ago. The Independence Day celebrations had just ended and the police were telling us that they were made standing around for 36 hours without a brake. And they were hungry, they said. And thirsty. All in all fairly decent people, not directly asking for a bribe… and in the end we actually gave them some somoni. Great website and wonderful idea you have! Good luck and safe cycling for the rest of the trip. Enjoy Turkmenistan and the ferry across the Caspian, some adventures ahead of you there :)

Comment by Rob Thomson — November 25, 2006 @ 3:18 am | post a comment

Ben, thanks for dropping by. I also think that the police have a hard time there in Dushanbe, or Tajikistan in general. Surely things will change eventually…

Great site by the way – some interesting insights into the situation here in central Asia. Keep up the good work.

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