Via America’s Lawyer: Hundreds of Central American migrants are being smuggled across the US southern border and forced into modern-day slave labor. Also, a new investigation reveals the CIA has been covering up evidence of sex crimes against children committed by their own agents. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription […]
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Papua New Guinea’s “glassmen” — men who claim to identify and accuse women of sorcery — must be hunted down and charged with their crimes, says Northern Governor Gary Juffa.
He said PNG should not just continue expressing concern and outrage while doing nothing to address sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV).
He made these comments in response to a video showing five women being stripped naked, tied to poles and tortured being released on social media last week. The cruelty portrayed in the video has shocked the nation.
An editorial note on the Post-Courier front page said: “This horrendous crime must not be seen as an isolated incident and such tortures and killings must be reported prominently.”
According to The National, Police Commissioner David Manning described the torture as “vile, inhumane, uncivilised, void of any human decency”.
The torture is believed to have occurred in Kagua, Southern Highlands Province.
Juffa said the perpetrators were visible in the video and it was not hard to identify them.
“They must all be rounded up and they must all be charged,” he said.
‘They are the guiltiest’
“And not only them, but those who claim to be ‘glassmen’, must also be brought in and charged.
“They are the guiltiest and must be apprehended and charged.”
Juffa also said the video was debated and discussed among MPs at great length.
“Member for Porgera has already assured us that he has sent this video to the provincial police commander of Enga.
“The Minister of Police has also advised us that he has already informed the Commissioner of Police and they are investigating.
“But now, something must be done, we must take action.”
Today’s PNG Post-Courier front page report on the police investigation into the shocking alleged sorcery torture video. Image: PC screenshot APR
Deputy Commissioner Police Operations Anton Billie called on the public to come forward with any information they had about the torture.
He also called on churches, youth groups, community leaders and women’s groups to come forward and assist the police with any information they might have on the perpetrators or the status of the five women — and whether they were still alive.
According to Cultural Survival, traditional PNG spiritualists are known in the Tok Pisin language as ol glas man — “glassmen”, or seers — who practise soul travel characteristic of shamanism.
Rebecca Kuku is a a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.
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The manhunt for the Papua New Guinean cult group along the Rai coast near Madang has been halted because of a lack of logistical support to continue the operation in Nankina Valley.
According to police officers who are part of the operation, they were flown back to Saidor Station where they will stay there and wait for instructions on whether to continue the operation.
Team leader Inspector Steven Yalamu said that so far they had done well, having rescued a family that was held hostage in a cult house in Nankina Valley.
Inspector Yalamu said they also rescued a man who had his hand chopped off by cult members. He was airlifted to Madang to for further medical assistance.
Police also rescued another man who was on his way to meet the cult group to pay them some money.
The exchange did not take place because the parties heard a helicopter approaching. The man later explained to police what had happened.
Inspector Yalamu wants the operation to continue because the cult group is still active in the area, and it needs to be stopped.
Northern Command Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Peter Guinness stated earlier that the operation would need a helicopter to airlift policemen from one location to another because of the geography around the villages.
He said that if the police officers wanted to move from one village to another it would take them more than five hours on foot. By then the cult group would have moved to another location.
The Northern Mobile Group police officers were flown, free of charge, by Manalos Aviation to Mibu Village to help the Madang-based officer in the manhunt for the cult group.
Madang provincial police commander acting Superintendent Mazuc Rubiang also said that they needed the support to carry on the operation. He said the gang would continue its crimes if police withdrew.
“The villagers were in fear when the police arrived. If police leave, we are expecting something worse to happen because some threats (have) been sent to villagers who were accommodating the police,” Superintendent Rubang said.
“The missionaries were also threatened because they posted on the social media, which prompted police to go there.”
Via America’s Lawyer: Attorney, author, and founder of Runaway Girl Carissa Phelps joins Mike Papantonio to explain how outlets like PornHub often turn a blind eye to child porn and rape scenes shot in hotel rooms well outside of Hollywood. What’s worse – Wall Street firms have played a major role in the growth of these practices. Plus, the Pennsylvania […]
A 21-man Papua New Guinean police team deployed to Nankina Valley in Madang’s Rai coast district has requested a helicopter to go after the “Het Wara” gang which has been terrorising villages in the area for more than two years.
Detective Inspector Steve Yalamu, who commands the operation, told the PNG Post-Courier that they had identified three places where the gangs had been operating from.
He said the police team — 11 officers from Madang and 10 from Northern Mobile Group — are based in Mibu, while the gang is many kilometres away.
“The group is based at Dike and has support units at Turiknan and Kowan,” Detective Inspector Yalamu said.
He said the gang was continuing to attack villages far from Mibu, where the police are currently based.
“It would take us days to reach them due to the rugged terrain, but by the time we reach the place, they would be long gone,” Yalamu said.
“My men are ready to go in but it would be too risky, plus it would take us days to get there.
‘We need helicopter airlift’
“We need a helicopter to airlift us into these places so we can get them.
“So we are waiting for the helicopter to come so we can infiltrate their base and capture them.”
Detective Inspector Yalamu said the groups were armed and had the advantage of knowing the rugged terrain well so he had requested the helicopter.
“When we first landed in Mibu on Sunday, we were told the gang would attack at night but luckily for them, they had a change of heart and didn’t come as we were ready and waiting,” he said.
“The gang has been running around doing whatever they wanted in the last two years and they’ve become bold but the law will still catch up with them.”
Rebecca Kukuis a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.
Papua New Guinean church workers working behind the scenes to help the terrorised people of the Nankina valley in Madang’s Rai Coast district are now themselves at risk after they were named in a news report.
The missionaries (names withheld) called on the police to send in more manpower to apprehend the “Het Wara” gang, saying their members who are on the ground would now be targeted by the gangsters.
This plea comes shortly after reports came in from sources on the ground that the house of one of the church members was burnt by the gang.
One of the missionaries told the Post-Courier that they had not wanted to be named or take credit for what they were doing out of concern for the security of their members on the ground.
“Knowing how this gang operates, they will definitely go after our members when the police leave,” said the missionary.
“Over the course of two years, this gang has killed people who stood up to them, who reported them to authorities or who tried to get help.
“So we appeal to the government and the police, please send in more manpower, end their reign of terror.”
35 homes burnt down
Meanwhile, reports from the area indicate that the gang is continuing to terrorise villagers despite a contingent of policemen flying into the area this week. A total of 35 homes have been burnt down so far, with three men killed and several others severely injured.
There are also reports of an unconfirmed number of women and girls being abducted and raped by the gang in the last three weeks.
Madang police were deployed to the area on Sunday and 10 Northern mobile group policemen were deployed yesterday to beef up manpower to hunt down the gang.
The group was flown in yesterday morning to join the team of 11 from Madang.
Team leader Steven Yalamu told the Post-Courier that the team from Lae arrived safely and were all now based at Tibu.
21 policemen on the ground
“Currently, we have 21 men on the ground but we are looking at bringing in more manpower to hunt down these criminals who have been preying on their own people,” Detective Inspector Yalamu said.
“Also the place is so rugged and mountainous that we have to wait for a helicopter to fly us to where the gang is at now.
“The gang is still active and is moving, attacking other villages that are further away from where we are, but I’d like to remind them that the hand of the law is long and we will still catch up with them.”
Peace and normalcy has been restored at Tibu village where police are now based.
Yalamu called on all Tibu villagers who may still be hiding in the bush to return to their homes and village.
“I also call on all villagers in the area to work with us to apprehend this gang.”
Fiji human rights activist Shamima Ali is concerned over what she says is the constant discovery of dead bodies and an increase in missing people — especially young women.
Ali said that often in restrictive environments where human rights and democracy and the rule of law spaces were shrinking, there was often an increase in violence within communities.
She said that in an already patriarchal society, authoritarian leadership encouraged the lack of debate, consultation and violence and “bullying” was the only answer to settling arguments and disputes.
“Our communities are impoverished and many people are struggling for their own and their family’s survival,” she said.
“This also gives rise to mental health issues and many are again struggling for lack of a robust system that caters to their needs.”
Ali said many were resorting to alcohol or self-harm.
She said the social fibre of Fiji’s communities seemed to be disintegrating and had worsened due to covid-19 and poverty.
Victims ‘the most vulnerable’
“The majority of victims are the most vulnerable — the poor and the disfranchised.”
Ali said it was important for people to act responsibly to avert such tragedies.
“We often do not know the outcomes of these reports – has the missing person been found, the circumstances of the bodies found — murder, accidental or suicide?
“There have been some cases where there have been allegations against police and corrections officers.
“We need answers. We do not have a robust national human rights institution that is proactive and acts on its own volition.
“The police need to update and the media need to follow up.
“Civil society also needs to raise concern and not just let it be the topic of conversation.
‘Troubled teens, odd behaviour’
“Families and friends will also know what to look out for — troubled teens, family members behaving oddly and seeming troubled.”
Ali said alcohol use was an issue in the country and would get worse during this festive season.
“Let us all take responsibility and look out for each other, especially families and friends,” she said.
“Make this Christmas a caring one for each other.”
Luke Nacei is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.
Defrocked American priest Richard Daschbach, 82, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the crimes of sexual abuse of orphaned and vulnerable girls in his care.
He was sentenced on Tuesday for various sexual offences against girls at the Topu Honis orphanage which he controlled.
His minimum sentence was 12 years, taking into account several factors including the defendant’s age.
The judge ordered immediate preventive detention over concerns that he might escape. He was acquitted of child pornography charges.
Financial compensation to victims was ordered.
The case against Daschbach has marked the first time that allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated by a priest have gone to trial in the staunchly Catholic country.
Daschbach, who founded the Topu Honis shelter for orphans and vulnerable children in the early 1990s, was accused of 14 counts of sexual abuse of children younger than 14, as well as one charge of child pornography and domestic violence.
The trial began in February in this enclave of Oecusse, 200 km west of the capital, Dili, and near his Topu Honis shelter.
The ex-priest and former missionary Richard Daschbach (masked) at a courthouse in the Oecusse enclave, Timor-Leste, on February 22, 2021. Image: Lusa
Closed to public
Court proceedings were closed to the public, and the trial was postponed several times before concluding last month.
Responding to Tuesday’s sentencing, Daschbach’s lawyer, Miguel Faria, said he did not accept it and would coordinate with the defendant and his family to prepare an appeal.
Lawyers representing the victims from the group Juridico Social applauded the verdict but said they would also appeal.
In a statement, the group said that considering the gravity of the crimes, Daschbach should have received a maximum sentence of 30 years.
“The history written today is a bitter history for the entire nation,” the group said. “Our children were subjected to horrendous crimes for such a long time because we, as a society, were blinded by the belief that a figure as the defendant in this case would not commit such crimes against children.”
The Vatican defrocked the Pittsburgh-born priest in November 2018, but Daschbach enjoys strong support from independence heroes, including former President Xanana Gusmao, who went to the court on Tuesday.
East Timor is generally the most staunchly Catholic place outside the Vatican and Daschbach is revered for his assistance during the Southeast Asian nation’s campaign for independence from Indonesia
Daschbach is also facing charges in the United States.
Antonio Sampaio is the Lusa news agency correspondent in Timor-Leste. Republished with permission.
Former President Xanana Gusmao, who went to the court on Tuesday in support of Daschbach. Image: Lusa
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Author and trial lawyer Mike Papantonio joins On Mic with Jordan Rich to discuss his latest legal thriller, Inhuman Trafficking, and the failures of the media and our law enforcement to crack down on the criminals within the ongoing trafficking industry. Click here to purchase of copy of “Inhuman Trafficking.” Transcript: *This transcript was generated […]
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The Malaita for Democracy (M4D) group has been declared an illegal organisation because of the alleged role of individuals in last month’s riots in the capital Honiara.
The Governor-General and Commander in Chief of Solomon Islands, Sr David Vunagi, declared M4D an unlawful society under section 66 (2) (ii) of the Penal Code from last Saturday.
The declaration was made after investigations conducted by Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) identified a number of people linked to M4D as having “played critical roles in the recent riots”.
In a media statement, the national government said that M4D was not and had never been formally registered under any laws of Solomon Islands.
The government said M4D also played the central role in organising and rolling out the protest in Auki which barred elected provincial members from entering the Provincial Assembly Chambers.
The actions of M4D were illegal and constituted acts against the good governance of Solomon Islands, the statement said.
The government added that the protest in Auki had hindered elected members of the Provincial Assembly from discharging their function under the Provincial Government Act 1997.
Suppression of constitutional rights
“This is an interference with or inciting to interfere with the administration of the law which resulted in the suppression of the constitutional rights of Malaita provincial members,” the government statement said.
Reports from the RSIPF had indicated that M4D had openly advocated for the protest in Honiara and was instrumental in the escalation of the riots.
“These actions also include strategic planning by staging disruptive actions such as setting of vehicles on fire and inciting violence. Also, M4D have openly advocating for the overthrow of a democratically elected government,” the national government stated.
The statement added that based on the findings of the RSIPF the Governor-General by virtue of his status as the Command in Chief of Solomon Islands had declared M4D an unlawful society.
The M4D was seen as the pressure group for the Malaita provincial government (MPG).
Robert Iroga is editor of SBM Online. Republished with permission.
Currently, the West and its monopoly media are inordinately fixated on an allegation of a crime against an individual in another country, a country that is denigrated as a threat. The alleged crime serves as a pretext to punish that individual’s country, as if the country were the perpetrator or an accomplice in the alleged crime, or involved in a cover-up of the alleged crime.
The New York Timesheadlined a piece, “The Tennis Chief Taking on China Over Peng Shuai.” The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) chief Steve Simon has suspended tournaments in China over “the treatment” of Chinese player Peng Shuai. It reads as if China, the country, has mistreated Peng.
A WTA standard has been established: an entire country may be penalized based on an allegation (even an allegation purportedly denied by the purported alligator) of sexual misconduct against a compatriot — this despite no charge having been filed, tried, or judged to have occurred.
When allegations of a crime arise, those interested in justice being served must guard against jumping to conclusions, as due process demands investigating and weighing the facts. Given the timing (just before the Beijing Winter Olympics slated for February 2022), geo-political posturing might be a motivation behind this demonization of China.
This is exemplified by a statement issued on behalf of president Joe Biden by White House press secretary Jen Psaki: “We join in the calls for PRC (People’s Republic of China) authorities to provide independent and verifiable proof of her whereabouts and that she is safe.”
It starts with an allegation of sexual assault in a post attributed to Peng Shuai that appeared and was deleted from Weibo, a Chinese social media site.
An excerpt from a purported screenshot of Peng’s post, from what China expert Wei Ling Chua calls “a notoriously anti-CCP platform,” revealed:
The part in bold translates to Peng saying “she was taken to the house [of the retired Communist Party official Zhang Gaoli] and forced to have sex.” The Chinese text is included because it is a basis for a translation by others. At least one translation, without the original Chinese text, appears elsewhere claiming there was no allegation of a sexual assault.
Since the post appeared, the situation has transmogrified from a “missing” Peng to a no longer missing Peng. Her subsequent public appearance did not satisfy the WTA. They want to hear Peng speak. Peng did speak to the International Olympic Commission and satisfied them that she was, despite the hullabaloo, more-or-less fine. The WTA was not satisfied. What does the WTA want? Peng wrote an email to the WTA:
Regarding the recent news released on the official website of the WTA, the content has not been confirmed or verified by myself and it was released without my consent. The news in that release, including the allegation of sexual assault, is not true. I’m not missing, nor I am unsafe. I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine.
If the WTA publishes any more news about me please verify it with me, and release it with my consent.
Simon was still unsatisfied. He said, “Peng’s sexual assault claim must be investigated with ‘full transparency’ and she should be allowed to speak ‘without coercion or intimidation’.” There is innuendo in what Simon purports: a “sexual assault claim” — a claim denied in the Peng email — and that Peng is being coerced and intimidated without presenting any evidence to support this insinuation.
Peng is the person who can speak to what really happened. But must Peng leave her motherland to explain her personal affairs to the WTA? Peng asked that her privacy be respected. The WTA claims skepticism to the email and, thereby, refuses to respect the request for privacy. What should Peng do? If the social media post was an inaccurate venting by Peng, then to force her to come forward could be construed as the WTA humiliating Peng. But what about the demonization of China?
Ultimately, if Peng comes to the US and continues to maintain that “the allegation of sexual assault, is not true,” it is egg on the face of the WTA and its chief Steve Simon. It would also be an embarrassment for the others that have piled on China: the US, the EU, and the UN. However, western governments will all too often continue to unashamedly repeat ad nauseam their discredited lies, such as the genocide in Xinjiang or the Tiananmen Square massacre.
In the US, as in China, jurisprudence confers a presumption of innocence until one is proven guilty of a crime. What Simon and the WTA have done is to punish a third party, a party not charged with committing, colluding, or having been found guilty of any offense. Nonetheless, the WTA in its wisdom took the step of suspending WTA tournaments in China. In effect, the WTA has pronounced Chinese tennis and, by extension, the nation of China as being guilty of, presumably, laxity or indifference to the crime of sexual assault.
The WTA has now assumed the role of judge and jury for what it identifies as a crime against one of its players.
If a crime was committed against Peng, then she needs to file a police report. Chinese police, like police most anywhere, do not investigate cases that have not been reported or made known to them.
Wired has used the alleged incident to accuse China of censorship. Wired writes that the initial post from Weibo was scrubbed in half an hour and Peng and Zhang’s names were unsearchable thereafter. One can be forgiven if at first blink one suspects censorship. Do we know who deleted Peng’s post? Might censorship even be justifiable? It is too easy to complain of censorship, but what also needs to be considered is libel. If an allegation is untrue, then a libel has been committed. Sometimes an allegation may be true, but it is not provable in a court of law.
So what does Wired suggest: that someone who might turn out to be innocent of an alleged crime have had his/her name dragged through the mud — mud that tends to leave an indelible impression? Is this justice? Or should names and accusations be kept under wraps within the justice system until a determination can be reached?
Peng’s allegation, as she herself stated in the Weibo post, is unverifiable. (See above: 是我没有证据，也根本不可能留下证据。Translated: “I have no evidence, and it is impossible to leave evidence at all.”) If Peng does an about face and says she was forced to have sex with the former vice premier Zhang, it amounts to hearsay. The WTA is responding to hearsay.
Now to avoid hypocrisy. There is a corroborated complaint that according to the standard set by the WTA that calls for action. In the United States sits a president who is alleged to have committed a sexual assault against a former senate staffer Tara Reade. Unlike Peng, Reade came forward and filed a complaint with a congressional personnel office and much later filed a police report.
Reade is not a professional tennis player, but many WTA tournaments are played in the US, and since the WTA claims concern for the safety of its players, does it not behoove the WTA to suspend all its tournaments in the US?
The alleged allegation in the Weibo post is serious, and it must be handled in a serious manner. If the allegation can be confirmed, then the wheels of justice must proceed, and if guilt is determined for a perpetrator, then whatever punishment is merited must be meted out.
But the inordinate global magnification of the allegation is obviously not about a concern for justice. It is not about concern for the safety of a tennis player. This is about the capitalist West and its capitalist allies reacting to a socialist country soaring past them economically, eliminating poverty, and pulling off great technological marvels. At its core, it smacks of envy.
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The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) has appealed to opposition leader Matthew Wale to “stop interfering” with police investigations in the wake of the rioting in Honiara last month.
“It is unfortunate that the leader of opposition, Mr Mathew Wale, attempted to question an ongoing investigation by police in the media,” said Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau.
“Issues raised by Honourable Wale are legal issues that are best dealt with by the court.”
Commissioner Mangau said in a statement that the police reassured Solomon Islanders that the police were an independent body and did not pursue political agendas.
“RSIPF will not engage in legal arguments in the media,” he said.
“Police will not further comment on matters that are subject to ongoing investigations. A leader should not interfere with police investigations.”
Mangau said an accused would be provided with legal counsel and it was the duty of the lawyer to advocate for the rights of the accused in court.
He added that Solomon Islands was currently under a state public emergency and the rules were set out under the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (No.3) regulation 2021.
Praise for AFP officers
Meanwhile, the RSIPF Facebook page praised the help from the Australian Federal Police as part of their peacekeeping role.
“Officers from the @AustFedPolice are supporting the RSIPF on the streets of Honiara,” sid the Facebook page along with a gallery of photos of Australian police on duty in Honiara.
“Highly-skilled personnel have deployed from Australia, including the Specialist Operations Tactical Response team. Their mission is to support the RSIPF to protect the community and key infrastructure, and to peacefully restore order in Honiara.”
The AFP officers had helped the RSIPF “peacefully restore calm in the community”.
Solomon Islands police have arrested 217 suspects connected to the three days of rioting and looting in the capital Honiara last week, but no alleged instigators so far.
Thirty three of the arrested people were juveniles — those under 18.
Police Commissioner Mostyn Managau appealed to members of the public to come forward and support police with evidence.
The riots and looting started on November 24 when a crowd of demonstrators broke into the Parliament grounds. They were then forced out from the Parliament area.
Their retreat into the city sparked three days of riots and looting that saw Chinatown razed, and several other properties in the eastern city set on fire, police stations attacked — one set ablaze, and Honiara High School torched to the ground.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Mangau said there were two ongoing investigations — one into the looting and rioting, while the other probes the alleged perpetrators.
So far there have still been no arrests of key players allegedly behind the riot.
Robert Irogais editor of SBM Online. Republished with permission.
Catholic church burns to the ground, Attawapiskat First Nation
Hello Mr Annett,
I am a Detective with the Vancouver Police Department, and my partner and I have been assigned to look into some of the more recent incidents in the city of Vancouver that relate to the vandalism towards Catholic Churches and ongoing protests from the heightened tension in society today.
I noted in my reading online that you have a background in understanding the residential school history in the Province and the role of the Catholic Church. I was hoping that you may have time to sit down with my partner and I, or to discuss over the phone if you prefer, some of you thoughts on the tensions currently existing, and your perspective on them. Our goal is to promote public safety, and of course any understanding helps us to do that.
Investigation Division
3585 Graveley Street
Vancouver BC
V5K 5J5
REPLY from Kevin Annett
Dear Michael and Alen,
Hello to you both and thank you for writing.
I would be happy to speak to you about the social tensions and conflict caused by unpunished crimes committed by the Roman Catholic church, including its standing policy known as Crimen Sollicitationas that requires that Catholics not report in-house child abuse to the police and help cover it up. That criminal conspiracy has helped caused the death of tens of thousands of native children in the misnamed “Indian residential schools” and intergenerational trauma, suicide and misery. And the failure of the government, the courts, and police to hold the Catholic church accountable under the law has created the outrage and frustration that leads to broken church windows and what you call “vandalism”.
Considering that the Catholic church is actively subverting the law by witholding from your police force evidence of child abuse in its Vancouver churches, many people are wondering why neither the courts nor your Department are taking action to stop such criminality by the church. Instead, your main concern appears to be protecting their property. I am sure that neither of you wish to appear to collude with criminality, no matter who commits it.
Over the years, we have provided to the police and media considerable evidence of child trafficking networks being operated in Vancouver and at such locations as Holy Rosary Cathedral and the Vancouver Club. And yet the police have time and again done nothing about it. Such a tacit collusion with a criminal conspiracy to protect child rapists may account for the frustration felt by people victimized by that church that leads to attacks against church property. But surely the systematic violation and taking of children’s lives by that church is as serious and much worse a crime than the breaking of church windows.
Under international law, the Roman Catholic church is considered a Transnational Criminal Organization (TNCO) because of its proven record of laundering drug cartel money, child torture and trafficking, arms dealing, and centuries of deliberate genocide. Under the United Nations Convention on TNCO’s (2000), such a criminal body has lost its right to its own property and assets, which can be lawfully seized, including by citizens if the police and courts refuse to act. And so what you may consider vandalism against the Catholic church and the seizure of its buildings by indigenous people is actually prescribed by the requirements of international law.
During December, indigenous elders and I are holding a series of public forums and actions that will hold the Catholic church accountable for its many crimes. As part of that effort I will be addressing the matter raised in your letter, including on my upcoming global blog radio program this Sunday. I welcome you or other representatives of the Vancouver Police Department to speak with me live on that program concerning why people feel the need to resort to vandalism when they are denied justice; and what steps the Vancouver police will take now to investigate and prosecute crimes committed by the Roman Catholic church in our city.
I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Rev. Kevin D. Annett, M.A., M.Div.
Canadian Field Secretary of the International Tribunal of Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS) www.murderbydecree.com
Via America’s Lawyer: New emails reveal Trump officials actively cheering efforts to alter COVID guidance from the CDC. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Also, former education secretary Betsy DeVos left behind a controversial legacy: the overhaul of student sexual misconduct guidelines under Title IX. Mike Papantonio is joined by Public Justice attorney Alexandra Brodsky to explain how policy revisions have relieved schools […]
With no plans to evacuate their citizens from Honiara, the international community is closely monitoring the situation in the Solomon Islands following a week of political unrest.
There was an air of calm across Honiara this weekend.
Resident Claire Percel puts it down to the arrival of Australian and Papua New Guinea defence forces to help the local police.
She said the reinforcements had “really helped the situation but we’re still nervous”.
“Roadblocks now set up in key locations and I’ve seen them check vehicles. Local businesses have started cleaning up the streets and removing the burnt vehicles.
“I managed to get out of the house today for a grocery shop and visit some family. It was a really good change of scenery. I took my kids with me, it was a very difficult conversation trying to explain why this happened,” Percel said.
There was rioting and looting across the capital following a protest at Parliament on Wednesday calling for the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to stand down.
Protesters angry over China
The protesters are angry at their government’s move to establish diplomatic ties with China, after decades of relations with Taiwan. Sogavare has refused to resign.
The tension escalated on Friday when more than 100 protesters reached Sogavare’s residence, throwing rocks while police with riot shields fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Australia and Papua New Guinea have deployed their defence force personnel to help the local police control rioting anti-government protesters.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Solomons reached out to his government for help. But he added Canberra was monitoring the situation in Honiara.
New Zealand officials are in contact with their citizens in Honiara and are aware that the travel plans of some have been disrupted.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government had not yet received a formal request for assistance from the Solomon Islands government.
Cleaning up after the rioting in Honiara. Image: Fiji community/RNZ Pacific
“We are not activating evacuation plans at this stage but remain in contact with relevant partners on the ground and are monitoring events closely.
“The New Zealand High Commission is providing Safe Travel advice to New Zealanders in Solomon Islands, including to follow the instructions of local authorities.
“New Zealanders in Solomon Islands should not rely on New Zealand government-assisted departures in an emergency,” the MFAT spokesperson said.
Fijians safe, government says Fiji’s government said its citizens in Honiara were safe.
Fiji’s consul-general to the Solomon Islands, Atueta Balekana, assured family members of the 400 Fijians living in Honiara their loved ones were safe.
Devastation after the Honiara rioting in Chinatown. Image: Fiji community/RNZ Pacific
The only unfortunate incident for the Fijian community in Honiara, he said, was the torching of one of its members’ shops.
Balekana also said a former Fijian soldier working as a caretaker at one of Honiara’s biggest hotels was confronted by rioters.
However, the couple who own Oceanic Marine Equipment Ltd are safe and the security officer had sought the aid of hotel employees that were loyal to the Honiara-based Malaitans to protect the property.
“We have issued an advisory for all Fijians in the Honiara vicinity not to get involved in the rioting and to leave them as they are,” Balekana said.
No evacuation plan
“We have not come up with an evacuation plan as yet, but if things escalate we would have to resort to one.
“At this stage, we do not expect the situation to escalate any further as security forces have stepped in to control the situation.”
Balekana said the Fijian community’s contribution to the Solomon Islands’ development is widely respected and “we do not think that we are under any threat”.
“The Solomon islanders treasure our relations but it is good to always approach these situations with caution.”
Balekana said more than 45 Fijian citizens worked in Honiara, while there were more than 300 Fijians married to Solomon islanders.
Unrest forces workers home Rotuman Kaitu Aisake arrived in Honiara in 2019.
Aisake said he immediately adjusted well to life in the Solomon Islands. He welcomed the locals and the lifestyle.
The recent events in the city took Aisake by surprise. He grew up in Fiji and had experienced political unrest.
Aisake said his office was among several businesses torched and looted by angry protesters on Friday.
Employees have been told to remain at home until further notice.
“The riots have always been politically motivated and they’ve always been targeting the township and industrial areas,” he said.
“The advice has always been consistent: just stay home. We will not return to work until the security situation can be confirmed that it is okay.”
Kaitu Aisake during a visit to Malaita Island. Image: RNZ Pacific
Plunged into ‘darkness’
Aisake warned that the political unrest in the Solomons has plunged the country further into “darkness”.
“This already had a huge impact without the lockdown. Our communities have already been deeply impacted. Unemployment, crime rates have gone up so socially everything is dysfunctional.
“The bright side is that we’ve managed to keep covid out of our borders but now with this, this rioting – whichever way you try to look at it, the impact is really bad though.”
Aisake hopes the arrival of security forces from Australia and Papua New Guinea helps stabilise the volatile situation in Honiara.
Tough times ahead, says ex-NZ resident Former New Zealand resident John Wopereis said it had been a “tough week for everyone”.
He moved from Nelson to the Solomon Islands four years ago.
Wopereis said the events that took place in Honiara took his family and friends by surprise.
“This all happened so suddenly. We didn’t have anytime to prepare our families with food or gas – with businesses being burned, there’s a bank branch that got burned too.
“Hundreds of Solomon Islanders unemployed. Where are they going to get their money to feed their families? In a couple of weeks, it’s going to get very bad because there’s going to be a shortage of everything. There’s nothing left.”
He said the unrest may have started as “something political but spiralled out of control”.
Wopereis said people were taking advantage of the conflict with majority of them violating the laws.
Former Nelson resident John Wopereis and his family in Honiara. Image: John Wopereis/RNZ Pacific
‘Totally out of control’
“People are not respecting what is being asked of them so whether or not we did have a lockdown or not, I think it’s just gone totally out of control. It’s very sad because it’s not only men, it’s children too. I’ve seen kids walking around with batteries, with cartons of soft drinks. It’s total chaos,” he said.
“I do feel that the Solomon Islands will bounce back from this. The events that unfolded really exposed a lot of underlying societal issues in the country that the nation can learn from and build back better.”
Meanwhile, an Air Kiribati crew are stranded in Honiara after arriving hours before the conflict started on Wednesday.
Pilot Captain Salote Mataitini said she was concerned at the escalating unrest in the country.
Mataitini and a colleague had only arrived in Honiara from Tarawa when the protests began.
She said their flight to Brisbane later that day was cancelled but they are now both safe in a hotel.
“I guess as a pilot you are really calm in stressful situations, I guess once I get back to Tarawa I will think about this experience.”
The Air Kiribati crew will leave Honiara in two weeks.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
