Islands Business - Politics: ARE RAMSI’S DAYS NUMBERED?

Australia believes islanders to decide its future

Samisoni Pareti
Manasseh Sogavare got confirmation that his campaign to kick Australia out of the regional peace restoration initiative it led in the Solomon Islands was working, came from an unexpected source last month.

Tim George... RAMSI’s special co-ordinator in Honiara.

In an extraordinary move, Australia’s foreign minister, Alexander Downer, wrote directly to Solomon Islanders warning them their prime minister was going all out to undermine RAMSI, to “tarnish its reputation and make it hard for it to continue its work”.

“It would seem that Solomon Islands is once again at a crossroad,” Downer said in his open letter publicised in the Solomon Islands and other islands of the Pacific last month.

“For instance, personnel are finding it difficult to enter the country and take up their position in RAMSI and for their families to stay in the Solomon Islands with them.

“At the same time, the Solomon Islands Government has spoken about removing the legal protection which allows RAMSI personnel to undertake their work efficiently and independently.

“There has also been an insulting attempt to smear RAMSI with the allegation that prostitution was being allowed on RAMSI premises. No evidence was ever produced to justify this allegation.

“More recently the outrageous allegation was made in a Solomon Islands court that Australia was behind an alleged plot to assassinate your Prime Minister. Not only is this not true, it is a grave insult to the people and government of Australia.”

Downer said Solomon Islanders themselves knew first hand the life they lived before friendly forces of RAMSI landed in Honiara four years ago.

Solomon Islands today is a very different place from those days, Downer wrote.

“I also know each and every one of you remember only too well the fear and intimidation, the breakdown in basic services, the closure of hospitals, schools and medical clinics, the hopelessness that took over so many of your lives.

“Australians and indeed your regional neighbours who make up RAMSI remain committed to working with you to prevent a return to those bad old days; we remain committed to keeping RAMSI in place, so that Solomon Islands can continue to move forward.”

Opting to write directly to the people of the Solomons, Canberra’s top diplomat reflected the seriousness Australia viewed the worsening relations between it and the Pacific island nation.

In addition to the series of obstacles thrown RAMSI’s way by the Sogavare Government, Downer in his letter spoke of several others. Like the sacking last year of the nation’s attorney-general only to be replaced by a man who is wanted in Australia on child-sex charges.

“Late last year, the Solicitor-General, a RAMSI deployee, was forced to leave after being personally threatened. Without giving any reason, the government then banned Police Commissioner Shane Castles from the country.

“Despite all of this, Australia has attempted to move ahead on bilateral relationship. We have welcomed to Australia a new Solomon Islands High Commissioner, His Excellency Victor Ngele. We have also appointed a new high commissioner to the Solomon Islands, Peter Hooton, who is keen to advance our shared interests.

“Unfortunately, the Solomon Islands Government has now cancelled two appointments for Mr Hooton to present his letter of introduction, thereby preventing him from carrying out his legitimate duties as Australia’s representative to Solomon Islands.”

Sogavare was unimpressed with Downer’s letter. His loathing for RAMSI and Australia’s leadership of it was no secret. He campaigned for it in last year’s general election and seemed to believe that it was his anti-RAMSI platform that got him re-elected.

Months before he banned his Australian police commissioner from returning to Solomon Islands, Sogavare had told ISLANDS BUSINESS that he would want to see Castles replaced.

He blamed the senior Australian cop of negligence over last year’s April riots in Honiara’s China Town.

His attempts to get his two parliamentary colleagues cleared of charges in that riot were thwarted by Castles and members of his police force.

Sogavare also disagreed with a Pacific Islands’ Forum Eminent Persons Group’s report which stated Solomon Islanders’ overwhelming support for RAMSI.

Such support is not evident amongst politicians and senior government officials, the prime minister had told ISLANDS BUSINESS.

Speaking in parliament on the morning the Downer letter was published by the Solomon Star newspaper, Prime Minister Sogavare labelled it as offensive and undiplomatic.

“Mr Sogavare said the channels of communication to any government should be done through the country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry,” reported state radio, Solomons Islands Broadcasing Corporation.

“He said Australia does not have any right to communicate directly to the people of Solomon Islands and should have followed the normal channels.”

As for the future, Downer seemed to imply that Australia’s participation and indeed the continuation of RAMSI hinges on the decision of Solomon Islanders.

CRUCIAL FACTOR: According to the Downer’s letter, Sogavare’s insistence that Taiwan should assist with the re-arming of Solomon Islands police would also be a crucial factor.

“Australia wants to continue to help Solomon Islands face the challenges of your nation’s future.

“But we are finding this increasingly difficult due to the obstacles placed in our path.

“The coming weeks and months will be a critical time.

“The decisions your country is currently considering—on RAMSI and the question of re-introducing guns to the police—will lay the foundation for the future.

“I urge Solomon Islanders to consider these issues very carefully and to go out of your way to encourage your leaders to listen to you, their people, and make wise decisions for the future of your country.”

The Downer letter was released just as members of the Pacific Islands Forum Taskforce established to spearhead a review of RAMSI arrived in Honiara.

In their consultations with ministers in Sogavare’s government, members of the Forum taskforce heard of another Sogavare pet subject: the need for an exit strategy for RAMSI.

Instead of that strategy being task-bound as suggested by a previous Forum report on RAMSI, Patterson Oti, foreign minister of Solomon Islands, suggested the strategy be time-bound instead.

“The recommendation that the tenure of RAMSI should be measured by the achievement of tasks rather than be time-bound needs to be reviewed,” Solomon Star reported Oti as saying.

“The current Solomon Islands Government believes there should be a time-frame within which certain tasks should be completed.

“The Forum should start a dialogue process with all stakeholders to carefully examine an exit strategy for RAMSI.”