UNPOLs

Just a few observations about UNPOL (United Nations Police).
Yesterday I saw my first, second and third vehicles driving through the red light of our wonderful new traffic lights. All three vehicles were UNPOL cars driven by international police. None of the police cars had sirens sounding or lights flashing and so didn’t seem to be responding to an emergency call. I havn’t yet seen one other car drive through a red light.
Later in the afternoon I saw an UNPOL car, brand new, being driven by an officer of the f-FDTL (our East Timorese army). No-one else was in the car. Very strange.
Then, to cap it all, I was in a local ex-pat bar, having a few sherberts during one of our frequent power cuts and at one table were five Malaysian police officers, all armed and all extremely pissed. One of the officers, a Sikh and a very nice chap, came to talk to me at the bar. After the introductions and a few informal words I asked him if it was OK for him to be drinking whilst armed. He told me that ‘this is only my second beer sir, and I have only had one glass of wine before this’. Fair enough. I wish I could get that drunk on so few alcohols. I’d be a richer man than I am now.