Is this restaurant racist? That's what Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh told Belmopan police about Yim Saan Restaurant on the Hummingbird Highway - which sits across from the corner of the highway and Forest Drive, and just outside of the center of Belmopan.
Reports are that on Saturday morning, sometime between 11:30 and 11:45 - the Chief Justice went to Yim Saan and ordered a Singapore style chow mein. At noon, he had still not been served and a group of Mennonites went into the restaurant, placed their orders, and got their food, while the Chief Justice still had not
gotten his. The Chief Justice inquired with the waitress about his party's order, but says he was treated dismissively. After a few minutes more waiting, he asked to speak to the manager, who he told police - again treated him dismissively.
The Chief Justice was outraged at what he viewed as clearly prejudiced behaviour and went to the Police Station to make a report that he had been racially discriminated against. Police sent a sergeant to investigate. No evidence of criminal wrongdoing was found, but a meeting was held today with the police, the Mayor of Belmopan Simeon Lopez and the owner and its namesake Yim Saan. After that meeting, Yim Saan - who is from mainland China - committed write a letter of apology to the Chief Justice.
This evening, he told us it was all a big mistake because the waitress forgot to hand the order over to the kitchen. When the Chief Justice went to ask Yim Saan himself what was wrong, he became aware of the waitress's oversight and started to prepare it but because the dish takes some time to cook - it would have taken some minutes more. He said that when he told the CJ he would have to wait, that's when he left to make the complaint.
Yim Saan told us he is deeply sorry and he agrees the Chief Justice has every right to have been angry because he would have felt the same way. He says it was an unfortunate oversight and not a matter of racial discrimination.
