Solomons may give

recognition to BRA

By Johnson Honimae

THE Solomon Islands govern

ment is contemplating giving

recognition to the Bougainville

Revolutionary Army and the

self-styled Republic of Bou

gainville. In a statement issued

on Tuesday (September 15),

his second since two Solomon Islanders were killed in the Shortland Islands on Saturday

by Papua New Guinea

soldiers, Prime Minister Sol omon Mamaloni said the issue of recognition could be an issue to be raised at an emergency meeting of parliament, if a state of emergency were to be declared at the border area.

Mamaloni said,“Many Solomon Islands leaders and people are now questioning the sincerity of both PNG and Australian Governments since it is Australia which is supply ing the lethal weapons with which PNG forces are killing Bougainvilleans and Solomon Island ers.”

The Prime Minister said in terms of Melanesian culture and tradition it seemed the BRA respected Solomon Islands sovereignty more than the PNG sovereign government.

“BRA has not yet killed any Sol omon Islands citizens during this long protracted crisis. This is not the same case with PNG and Australia.”

In the same statement, Prime Min ister Mamaloni revealed that a request had been made to the Australian government to send its troops to Solomon Islands to protect the border and ensure that PNG force did not cross into Shotlands or Choiseul.

“Failing this,” Mamaloni said, “the Solomon Islands government has no option but to venture out into the world to seek for much needed military assistance.”

Meanwhile, the Solomon Islands

government has refused diplomatic clearance for a visit of the Royal Australian Navy ship Bendigo.

The weekend raid by PNG soldiers has also led the questioning of the genuineness of the Australian High Commission in Honiara by Prime Minister Mamaloni.

This has raised questions in the Australian National parliament. In answer to the questions, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator Gareth Evans, said the High Com mission in Honiara and its officers had at all times carried out with meticulous care the Australian government’s pol icy of support for Solomon Islands

sovereignty.

“We have offered on a number of occasions to provide appropriate assist ance to the Solomons to help the country manage its borders,” said Senator Evans.

Senator Evans said his government had offered assistance to the Solomon Islands government to build a perma nent base in the Western Province for the border activities of its police, “but we have not yet received any formal proposal from the government.”

And Australia is to re-state its concern about controls on Papua New Guinea’s military.

The Australian Minister for trade and Overseas Development, John Kerin, is scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby primarily for aid review matters.

But he is also expected to express Canberra’s concern about the killings in the cross-border raid. Australian officials say Kerin will repeat the message given in August by Evans that the civilian government in Papua New Guinea must assert full control over its soldiers.

Meanwhile, Solomon Islands Cabi net met most of Thursday (September 17), to discuss its next political move following a fact-finding mission to the site of the raid.

Cabinet was expected to discuss the convening of an emergency session of the Solomon parliament to debate the issue. □