Solomons mission worsens child sex

Dan Box
The Australian 22 March 2006

SOLDIERS, police and technical advisers sent from countries including
Australia to rebuild the war-torn Solomon Islands have fuelled a huge
increase in the country's child sex industry.

A series of harrowing interviews, documented in an unpublished UN report and
revealed in this week's Time magazine, detail how years of civil conflict
and poverty forced many Solomon's children to sell themselves for sex.

One church group in a remote area of the islands described how a local
family had been paid $US10,000 ($13,800) for their adopted daughter by a
foreign contractor working for the Regional Assistance Mission to the
Solomon Islands.

"The girl had been forced to leave school in the middle of Form 4," the
report said.

"There appears to be a considerable risk that the girl would be abandoned
when the purchaser moves on, as respondents believed he has done before."

Other Solomon Islanders said the influx of army, police and civilian workers
had contributed to an increase in prostitution among girls under 18.

"Other regular clients of prostitutes were said to include tourists,
expatriate workers, aid workers, timber workers and fishers," the report
said.

The report, commissioned by the UN Children's Fund, was completed in October
2004 but has never been publicly released.

UNICEF spokeswoman Shantha Bloeman said the document was due to be released
this year as part of a combined study on the commercial sexual exploitation
of children in five Pacific countries.

"UNICEF has been working with governments to develop national plans of
actions to put in place legislation, policies and enforcement mechanisms to
prevent child sexual exploitation and assist the potential victims," she
said.

Other examples of child sexual exploitation detailed in the report include
school girls who sold themselves to a taxi driver because they could not
afford to travel to school and families who sold their daughters to foreign
fishermen for fish.

The report suggests much of the Solomons' sex industry is driven by the
poverty that followed a civil conflict between 1999 and 2003, known as the
Troubles, which displaced about 35,000 people.

The Islands Government subsequently invited the combined RAMSI force, which
includes about 250 police officers, 120 civilians and a contingent of
military personnel from 11 Pacific countries, including Australia and New
Zealand, to help restore peace.

The Australian Government had allocated $840.6 million to RAMSI over four
years from 2005-06 at the time of the report's writing.

The force was due to stay until 2013.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that one member of the
Australian Defence Force serving in the Solomons had been found guilty of an
indecent act and subsequently suspended.


Submitted Via Email R.T, Oxfam Int'l.

Youth representative in national election

People First | Thursday Mar 16
HONIARA, Solomon Islands - A young man will contest in East Honiara against veteran politicians in the coming national elections

Solomons influence works for Nasinu

Sunday March 12, 2006

Nasinu, with the influence of its imported Solomon players, thumped a young Nadroga side 5-1 in their Pepsi League encounter at Ratu Cakobau Park today.
It was the second biggest scoreline in the league competition. Ba holds the record after whipping Labasa 7-0 earlier on.

But Nasinu found the wet and soggy Ratu Cakobau Park to their advantage as they piled in goal after goal.
Nasinu led 3-0 at the break with goals coming in from Robert Mafane in the opening minute. His goal was by far the fastest to be scored in the Pepsi League competition.

Binesh Kumar put Nasinu up to two goals before Elrick Kiluwa's 12th minute sitter allowed them to take a comfortable 3-0 lead.
In the second spell, Kiluwa struck again to make it 4-0. Nadroga replied and pulled one back through Intiaz Hussein but Benjamin slotted in the last goal two minutes to full-time to make it 5-1.

Benjamin and Kiluwa join Navua's Ovini Duguca as the second top goalscorers in the competition. Ba's Josai Bukalidi scored a hat trick against Labasa and leads the board.

Nadroga manager Nazim Khan blamed the ground condition for their loss. He said the heavy underfoot from last night's rain was in Nasinu's favour because the southerners were used to playing in that condition. He said Nadroga had a new team and needed to improve.

Nasinu President Praveen Chand was happy with the performance of the islanders but said areas of concern were the central midfield and defence. Fijilive

Nasinu's Solomon Islands import Robert Ma'fani tries to beat the Nadroga goalie in their 5-1 win during their Pepsi League fixture at Ratu Cakobau Park.

UB40 Rocks Suva - Fiji

Here are some images taken during the UB40 "Who You Fighting For" World Tour to Fiji, at the FMF Dome on the 10th of March 2006. There was a capacity crowd of about 7000 fans, that includes students from Solomon Islands studying at USP. The band did two shows. Click Photos to Enlarge

World War 2 Relics-Solomon Islands

Some images of the remains of the Second World War on Guadalcanal, namely the Guadalcanal Campaign. More on this to come...












Photos courtesy of Phil Blade, Honiara,2006

"Ontong Java" - The Lord Howe Island: Solomons hidden Paradise

Ontong Java also known as Lord Howe Atoll, is a 50km attractive boot-shaped atoll made up of 122 islands lying just south of the equator and 258km north of Santa Isabel. Approximately 57km long and 50km wide with a total population of 3000+ Polynesian inhabitants, Ontong Java is the largest lagoon in the Solomon Sea, and is the country's northernmost point.

The total land area is only a minute 12 sq km with the widest stretch of dry ground on the islands of Luaniua (population 1300) and Pelau (400 people) measuring only one km, while the average breadth of many of its islands is only a third of this. No island is higher than 13m above sea level with most islands barely one to three meters high and composed mostly of coral debris.

Apart from the two main villages of Luaniua and Pelau, few other islands have temporary shelters where a small number of about 50 people now live almost permanently, and where there are fine beaches, good coral and plenty of fish throughout the lagoon. The two populated islands consist of freshwater swamps where natural depressions have been artificially deepened for mulching pits to cultivate taro crops, a staple diet on the atoll.

Coastal areas consist of narrow strips of coconut palms and scrub, mainly on the ocean side. Annual consumption of coconuts by the atoll's inhabitants is estimated to be around 600000 nuts annually which averages about one coconut per person per day.
Besides collecting beche-de-mer and trochus shells for the Hong Kong market, the people of Ontong Java often exchange with copra for goods at the only two small stores on Luaniua and Pelau. Houses are built flush to the ground with a network of poles forming the frame with the roof thatched with pandanus leaves.

Pottery dating back 2000 years has been discovered on the atoll and studies into the atolls language suggest it is related to both the Samoan and Tongan tongues. Believed to have separated from its mother tongue, their language passed in about 300 AD through Tokelau or Tuvalu before reaching the atoll from there.

In 1616 Dutch adventurers Le Marie and Schouten may have sighted Pelau and its adjacent islets. But it was Abel Tasman who in March 1643 first sighted the atoll, and believing his sighting was the precursor of good fortune called the group Ontong Java.

Later in 1791, John Hunter became the first European to set foot on the atoll's soil and renamed it Lord Howe Atoll. Whalers and traders later followed and in the 1870s black birders in search of slaves began visiting the group.

IN 1893 Germany annexed the atoll but later ceded it to Britain in 1899.
Sea birds are prolific on Ontong Java, and some islanders keep frigate birds as free-flying pets. The black-naped tern is plentiful and is believed to breed only on this atoll. This medium-sized nearly all-white sea bird has a black line running from its eyes to the nape of its neck.

Megapode birds are plentiful and lay their eggs in self-built mulch mounds. Because of the people's traditional association with the megapode bird, they have flourished as the birds and their eggs are not eaten.

Ontong Java art consist of gaunt geometrically shaped female deity figures, which were a distinctive feature of the atoll's statue art. The lower part of the face was portrayed as an inverted triangle with straight lines to represent the eyebrows and nose. Some of these still exist. Graveposts are made from wood and coral rock and stylised with human faces.

Pearl shells are shaped to make fish-hooks, necklaces and nasal pendants and women use back-loom for weaving. Loincloths made on a loom are then dyed with tumeric.
In society and conduct, the Ontong Java people observe traditional customs in relation to marriage and property. The male line owns the coconut groves and does the fishing, while the female side maintains the taro plots and is prominent domestically.

Many men and women in Ontong Java are tattooed with the forehead decorated with marine or geometrical designs in childhood, which are later extended to other parts of the body. Some tattoo designs are in the shape of a hook used for catching oil fish which is local delicacy.

Both Luaniua and Pelua have medical clinics. Guest accommodation has only recently been built at Luaniua, but if one wishes to visit Pelau or any of the other islands, the village chief should firstly be contacted. If agreed, accommodation will be arranged in the village. Fish, shellfish, lobsters and other staples are plentiful but sufficient quantities of other diet requirements should be taken from Honiara. It is common courtesy to ask someone to show you around and will ensure acceptance of one's presence.

Yachts and ships can use one of the 23 passages through the reef to enter the atoll. To the south is Ke Avaiko Passage leading to the main anchorage at Luaniua.

Photos and Story by Rex Tara, 2006.

The Lord Howe Island: Solomons hidden Paradise

These are truly some remarkable photos of Lord Howe Islands in the Solomon Islands Archipelago. These islands known as the Malaita Outer Islands are in the Malaita Province and are home to people with Polynesian origin. It can be rightfully said the hidden paradise of Solomon Islands. More stories to come...(Click Photos to enlarge)







Photos courtesy of Rex Tara, Feb.2006

SOLOMON ISLANDS INTER-TERTIARY 2005

The Solomon Islands Inter-tertiary games kicks of yesterday at the Telekom Training School, with a good number of overseas students participating. The games played are soccer, vollyball, basketball and other games. It is hosted by the USP Laucala Campus and will end on Wednesday this week. I will bring you results of the games later. Also, there was a thanksgiving service held at the St Barnabas Cathedral yesterday evening for all the students studying in various institution in the region.

A Primitive Civilisation: Solomons Back in Time

These are some old photos that I have come across while surfing the net. It really brings one back in time to those times when our ancestors have their own civilisations and their own style of governing, and their own scientific knowledge, which have still being called primitive in the modern times. Personally I do feel that our ancestors have the right to claim that our traditional sciences,knowledge and governance at that time earned the credit to a part of civilisation even the modern elites and knowledge have still to come to terms with...so here are some of the glimpses of our past as we travel through time back to the Solomon Islands:



Warrior with wicker shield and parrying club, Solomon Islands.
Original albumen photograph, c 1880's (mounted on album page with photograph of the Suez Canal by Zangaki verso) Photographer: Dufty, Levuka (blind stamped lower right) The man holds a wicker shield, lava lava (New Georgia, Florida, Santa Isabel or Guadalcanal); with his right hand he holds a club or parrying shield, qauata (San Cristobal or Santa Ana).


Young warrior with parrying club, Solomon Islands
Original albumen photograph, c 1880's (on original folio size board mount)
Photographer: Thomas Andrew
The young man holds a club or parrying shield, qauata (San Cristobal or Santa Ana); note also the feathered arm ornaments, beaded body decoration and comb standing upright at the crown of the head.


Fort at Qarep, northwest Malaita, Solomon Islands.
Original albumen photograph, c 1900 (unmounted)
Photographer: J.W. Beattie, Hobart (titled in the negative and numbered 535)
The native man in the centre wears a Malaita pearl shell ornament, dafi


Women of Ferasibor, Malaita, Solomon islands.
Original albumen photograph, c 1900 (unmounted)
Photographer: J.W. Beattie, Hobart (titled in the negative and numbered 529)
Three generations of women.


Vella Lavella girl with painted face and shell ear ornaments, Solomon islands.
Original albumen photograph, c 1900 (unmounted)
Photographer: J.W. Beattie, Hobart (titled in pencil, verso)


Solomon Islands native, Marobo
Real photo postcard, c 1920 (postally unused)
Printed by Kodak, Australia
Photographer unknown


Vanikolo (Vanikoro) natives in canoe, Santa Cruz group, Solomon Islands.
Original photograph, c 1900-1910
Photographer unknown
Inscribed in pencil verso: Last cruise of Flora. Several canoes stuck to us till we were out of sight of land. Vanikolo natives Santa Cruz.
Loss due to careless removal from album.

Solomon Islands Arts and Crafts

These are some of our Art and Crafts taken during the 2005 National Trade And Cultural Show, at Honiara, Solomon Islands...There were are whole ranges of different traditional carvings, strings of shell money, necklaces, ladies hand bag, woven mats and tapa drawings...Here are some pictures of Solomon Islands crafts. Click on Image to Enlarge: