Thoughtful

Letters

remark

Madam, I want to reply to Aula Kobale’s letter [PIM, Jan. 1992). His letter cannot be left unanswered.

The comment that BRA (should be

“Bouganville Freedom Fighters” [BFF])

has not killed any Solomon Islanders was not only true but instructive. What the Honourable Prime Minister, Solomon Mamaloni, was alluding to was that “Brothers should not killed each other,” if the arguments of one nation and sovereignty are to hold water. This has not been the case with Papua New Guinea governments and the Papua New Guinea military which have been sup ported by Australian advice and re sources. The PNG military (with the support of Australia) had invaded Bouganville and the Solomon Islands and had killed people in these zones.

Clearly, Papua New Guinea and Austra lia had killed Bouganvilleans and Sol omon Islanders.

Certainly, this is not the case with BFF. However, the case of BFF, having not killed Solomon Islanders, would soon cease to be valid if Papua New Guinea military (with Australian military aid) continues to kill Bouganvilleans. Seen in this context, the Prime Minister’s remark was not unthoughtful but rather loaded with useful thoughts and cues. Only a decolonized mind which is able to decipher the difference between “ulti mate sovereignty” based on peoples’ lives and the respect for peoples’ person and property (in this case Bouganvilleans and Solomon Islanders), and “national sov ereignty,” founded on colonial demar cations, expatriate contrivances and con tinued neo-colonialism, can comprehend these dynamics.

The above aside, I would never condone killings by members of BFF. But Bouganville was invaded. And PNG government had yet to exhaust alterna tive means of resolving the conflict before the military resorted to invasion and

killing.

Any one who understands the “Melanesian mind,” would have realised that once a single life was lost, even the closing of Paguna mine would never compensate for such a loss. This is what Australian advisers (even some PNG leaders) have failed to realise or blatantly refused to acknowledge.

In some parts of the world where people are disposable and “Mr. Money” is glorified, this should have been the

case. Fortunately, some Bouganvilleans

have refused to put money in the place of their people in their land.

The above thus reflects the pressing need to resolve the conflict and, this time, PNG needs all Pacific island states to assist; most of all Solomon Islands. Any Prime Minister of the Solomon has a role to play in this endeavour with grace and

utmost integrity.

Benjamin Baeoro, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Tongan

time

Madam, I refer to your article “Royalty Under Threat” in the December issue of your magazine. Martin Tiffany raises the question of whether “the man (Akilsi Pohira) and his movement are a force ahead of their time”. I realise that Tonga straddles the line 180° east and west of Greenwich, that Tongans claim that “Tonga (is) where time begins”, but the philosopher Plato once said, “Time waits for no man”. Without going beyond the

realm of the mortals, by point is that time is running out. Whether it be the chiefs or the people living on the Tukutonga rubbish dump, the economy of the kingdom can no longer deliver the goods and services to satisfy the desires and human needs of the people. I mean deliver in terms of quantity, quality and in a manner acceptable to the people. If there is a sow with a litter and the sow has not enough food and only dirty water some piglets starve to death. If the sow has no milk all the piglets die. If the sow has no food and water the sow and the

piglets die.

Furthermore, if the pace of environ mental destruction continues the country won’t be able to deliver the most basic physical needs of humans food, clothing and shelter. It won’t eveb be a matter of sharing the cake or even stealing the cake, there just won’t be the capability to produce a cake.

It is not surprising that increasingly Tongans are seeing there is no future for their children in their homeland. It certainly looks like it is time for dialogue.

May be if there is another timely conference, for this time on the theme of “The Development of Tonga”, the Hon.

P.M. Vaea will attend and the other ministers will also make the time between their overseas travels.

Don Seiler Nuku'alofa Tonga