Landing rights

Headlines

Solomon Islands

Collaborators

arrested

Solomon Islands security personnel have arrested eight Solomon Islanders who have allegedly been collaborating with both the Papua New ’Guinea Defence Force and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army. A police spokesman said the men were from the Shortland Islands opposite Bougainville and were arrested on January 14 on a border island after returning from an illegal visit to Bougainville.

The spokesman said the men had now been brought to Honiara aboard the patrol boat Auki and would be charged under Solomon islands immigration laws. The eight men are all in their 20s and police believe they were dealing with both sides in the Bougainville conflict.

According to the police spokesman, the men had been selling Second World War ammunition to the BRA. It was also believed they had guided PNG soldiers in cross-border raids on Shortlands villages last year. The spokesman said both the PNG Defence Force and the BRA had raised complaints about being double-crossed in their dealings with the arrested men. ***

Landing rights

questioned

A Hong Kong-based company which has put in a bid to buy a major share in Solomon Airlines has questioned whether the airline’s landing rights in regional countries will be secure if the deal goes ahead. Golden Springs International, which has logging interests in Solomon Islands, was the only applicant for 70 per cent of the shares in the government-owned airline which were put on offer last month.

The manager of the Government’s Investment Corporation, Wilson Gina, says the question of landing rights was raised in initial negotiations with the company and further talks are expected. The Honiara newspaper Solomon Voice says it understands some regional countries have indicated their reluctance to grant Solomon Airlines landing rights if the Hong Kong company becomes a majority shareholder. ***

Airspace

violation

Solomon islands police have expressed surprise at the Papua New Guinea Defence Secretary, Peter Peipul’s denial of PNG Defence Force violations of Solomon Islands airspace. Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations, John Homelo, says the recent intrusions cannot be denied as they were witnessed by villagers, government officers and security personnel at the border area south of Bougainville.

Homelo says a light aircraft and a helicopter were seen crossing the border into Solomon Islands airspace more than once from Bougainville and returning the same way.