Conflicting reports on incursion

CONFLICTING reports of the incident have been received as inquiries and protests into the raid continue.

The Solomon Islands government’s official protest note to PNG says between 4.00-4.30 am on September 12, two out board motor-powered canoes identified as belonging to the PNG Defence Force were seen entering Komaliae Village in Shortland Islands.

“On reaching the shore, the soldiers went into the village whereupon they destroyed the trade store lights and fired shots from Ml 6 machine guns at the fuel

drums in the compound. A woman who attempted to escape the scene with her three-year-old child was fired at, injuring both her and her child seriously.” The woman subsequently died from loss of

blood.)

“Her brother, Peter Kamaraia, who came out of his house to investigate the noise, was stopped by two soldiers at gun point. He was shot at point blank range while trying to free himself. These were unprovoked attacks on unarmed civ ilians.”

The PNG government’s version says

PNG soldiers had knowingly crossed into Solomon Islands territory in pursuit of two “hard-core” BRA members after they crossed from Buin to the Shortland Islands.

“PNG Defence Force has reason to believe that when the two BRA members got to Shortlands, they were assisted by the Solomon Islands police and taken to Komaliae Village where the store owner would be harbouring them.”

When they were at the store two BRA members and the store owner apparently knew that the PNG Security Forces were

between PNG and SI on the spill-over effects of the Bougainville crisis and sent a full report on the intrusion by PNG Forces to the United Nations Security Council.

Meanwhile, PNG Prime Minister Paias Wingti had directed the acting Commander of the PNG Defence Force, Colonel Robert Dademo, to undertake a full investigation into the incident.

Wingti said if it was confirmed citizens of lis country killed citizens of another, hen “they must be brought to justice.”

In another development, PNG High Commissioner in Honiara, Frank Miro, lescribed as “total lies” a statement from he Solomon Islands National Security ieadquarters (5.1.N.5.H.) in the prime ninister’s office, that he had contacted Jougainvilleans and the PNG Defence "orce through a radio in the store which yas raided.

A statement from the S.I.N.S.H. had laimed the Komaliae trade store where be raid took place was a contact point Dr PNG agents operating in the Solomon slands and South Bougainville. The tatement claimed two people, identified s Tony Anugu and Bernard Simiha, sed the store radio to communicate with NG forces and the PNG High Com lission in Honiara.

Miro strongly refuted the claims, tying “My office had never had any Dmmunication with any radio in the hortland Islands or in any other part of le country for that matter.”

But the national security headquarters ys “it might be concluded that the tiding PNG party discovered the wrong ?rson at the trade store instead of its jent” and were “forced to shoot the rmer to silence him forever”. □ •ruing and so escaped to hide in a ;arby area. The PNG soldiers were shot first, followed by some cross-fire, “but e PNG Security Forces fired into the

r as they were retreating”.

“Furthermore, the PNG Security >rces claim they have not shot anybody >r had they any intention of raiding the )re. They were merely there to arrest e two hard-core BRA members who e known for harassment and murder of nocent PNG citizens around the Buin ea.”

As the soldiers retreated they took ptive a Solomon Islander and a two ly radio “believed to be frustrating the iteration process”. The Solomon ander was taken to Buka and wass to ve been released on September 15. □