A colonial official pursued secret inquiry to avoid exposing colleagues

Evidence

Van Rees himself was shocked that so many of his close colleagues were among the most vocal instigators. Instead of conducting a public inquiry, he made the decision to carry out a “secret investigation to discover those acts carried out by high-placed officials and people, colleagues and compatriots who I have always held in esteem and for whom I always had felt kindness.” — Ann Laura Stoler, Along the Archival Grain_ Epistemic…, 493

Categorization

• XREF: Relates to epistemic anxieties in colonial contexts where the archivist’s own social embeddedness shapes record-keeping choices.