Main menu

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

  • Most Popular This Week

    • Site search

    No new articles? Check these Bogosities:

    Blogroll

    Receive Posts by Email

  • Technorati:

    • Categories

    Archive

    Honiara

    More from Bp Terry.

    ...

    Dear Friends,

    Just a few notes from Honiara on a Monday morning.

    (1) It is now half past ten and there hasn’t been a moment since I woke up that there have not been helicopters circling overhead, some of them quite low.  I suppose this is part of the RAMSI big-stick approach.  The Parliament is meeting to elect a Deputy Speaker (Sir Peter Kenilorea returns unopposed as Speaker) and perhaps begin to deal with the vote of no confidence.  Surely the Government’s strategy will be to be to paint the Opposition responsible for the rioting.  The PM denies that his Government has ever been involved in corruption or that there is any political significance in what happened last week on the streets of Honiara.

    (2) Virtually all shops at Point Cruz, from the National Museum to the Central Market are closed, boarded up, and, of course, one big building near the market is burnt out. And, of course Chinatown is out of the picture.  The Central Market is opening and functioning as are the small locally-leased shops there. Unless shops reopen, people will be hungry very soon.  Already, people are finding it hard to find food.  Banks and airlines are about all that are open. And the Hot Bread Shop.

    (3) Rick Hou, Governor of the Central Bank, was on the radio this morning, outlining the economic effects of what has happened—inflation, plunging dollar, unemployment, lack of investment, etc.  Already, the SI dollar has taken a big dive.

    (4) The police are investigating those who instigated the riots, and have arrested at least one Member of Parliament.  Robert Wale, the “People’s Power” spokesperson has been arrested and was not granted bail.  The town is full of rumours of who is behind it all.

    (5) I have heard a certain amount of anger at RAMSI for just standing around doing nothing as the breaking into shops and looting went ahead at Point Cruz.  Apparently no warning shots were ever fired. It seems amazing that rioting went on for days without RAMSI being able to contain it.  (Only RAMSI is armed; the local police have effectively been disarmed post-ethnic tension.)

    (6) A city that contains only people but minimal economic activity cannot survive long, and I wonder if we are looking at a lot of people eventually returning to their home islands. However, for the moment, not even that is possible, as ships are not allowed to sail as the police look for instigators, looters and loot.

    Bishop Terry Brown

    Related Posts:  »RAMSI Should Stay »Auki Update »RAMSI official dismisses criticism

    Posted: April 24th, 2006 under Solomon Islands.
    Comments: none

    Story pulse

    graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.graph element.

    369 total reads, averaging 1 daily
    stats powered by bsuite