Statement by the Minister for National Unity,
Reconciliation and Peace Hon. Samuel Iduri on The
Bona Fide Demands of Guadalcanal, 5 February 2007
Hon
IDURI: Thank you, Mr Speaker, the Prime Minister and Ministers, Opposition
and Members of Parliament.
Mr Speaker, I respectfully rise
to make this statement, which appears under Order Paper No.4(1)
in my name, on the ‘Bona Fide Demands of Guadalcanal’. Mr Speaker, may I
add, that these outstanding issues are related to the recommendations of the
Solomon Islands Government (SIG) and the Guadalcanal Province Government (GPG)
Task Force Report on Reconciliation and Rehabilitation (SIG/GPG Report
2006). Thus I will be referring to both
issues in view of my Ministry’s policies and programs.
Mr
Speaker, at the outset the government considers matters of outstanding issues
and reconciliation as very critical in the advancement and consolidation of the
peace process. These relate directly to
some of the underlying causes and also the effects and impacts of the ethnic
violence. The Government therefore, is
committed to addressing these to ensure healing,
forgiveness and true reconciliation take place that would lead to sustainable
peace.
Mr
Speaker, the “Guadalcanal Bona Fide Demands” was initially made in 1999 to the
national government. As this Honorable
House is aware, other technical ministries are directly responsible for the
implementation of the various sections of the Bona Fide Demands. My Ministry’s role is to monitor, assess and
advise on the implications of the issues on peace, stability and national
unity. Thus it plays an advisory and
coordinating role to government ministries for that matter to ensure that
critical national issues are constantly addressed.
Mr
Speaker, key implementing ministries in this regard are the Ministries of
Lands, Provincial Government, Home Affairs, Finance, Education, Justice and
Legal Affairs, National Planning and Aid Coordination, Mines and Energy and the
Honiara City Council; just to mention the areas that are covered in the Bona
Fide Demands.
Mr
Speaker, the Bona Fide Demands definitely are not shelved away as suggested in
recent media statements. They are not
forgotten either by all parties. The
demands, if we all recall are long term, if not are already part of ongoing
government services. Progress has been
made in certain areas; others have been slow; while certain areas are legally
complicated and would take a lot of time and resources.
Mr Speaker, I must
reiterate here, that the events of our recent ethnic violence has definitely
affected the progress and very importantly in turn had created additional
demands and claims and also priorities, which my Ministry has been able to
establish over the past two years through its intra-provincial and community
reconciliation activities.
Mr
Speaker, eight years on since the Bona Fide Demands were made, the government
through my Ministry is committed to revisit these reports in coordination with
respective ministries to carry out a full up-date assessment on the status of
the Guadalcanal Bona Fide Demands. The
Ministry realizes that the Bona Fide Demands historically is a re-emerging
issue that will continue to have bearing on peace and stability of this nation.
The
assessment is to update our records, establish a common understanding, pave a
way forward through dialogue and in turn inform our people of the status of the
“Bona Fide Demands”. Sir, ensuring that
updated and accurate feedback reaches our people particularly at the community
level is important.
Mr
Speaker, this is a task my Ministry is coordinating with other relevant
Ministries and the outcome will also contribute towards a Background Paper, the
terms of reference of a high level government committee that will conduct
assessment into the SIG/GPG Reconciliation and Rehabilitation Report.
Sir,
to provide an overview of the work of the Ministry, let me inform you that the
Ministry was only established in 2002 in urgent response to the immediate
impact of the violence and the subsequent lawlessness. The Government saw the need for the
department to focus and coordinate government strategies in addressing the
immediate post-conflict situation.
Mr
Speaker, since then its roles and functions has evolved over the past four
years. From 2002-2003 the major focus
was on compensation. From 2004-2005 it
focused on reconciliation with
stronger emphasis on rehabilitation (re-integration) programs. From 2005-2006 while National and
Inter-provincial Reconciliation remained the main focus the strategies were on
national dialogue through national summits.
These
summits had provided the forum for the first time after the conflict for
national, provincial and community leaders to talk through provincial and
national issues in relating back to the original Bona Fide Demands, as in the
case of the
Sir,
the summit reports have been endorsed by Cabinet and are useful reference
materials which is informing my Ministry’s work program and forming the basis
for dialogue.
Mr
Speaker, meaningful reconciliation is a process that cannot be imposed. It takes a lot of time, resources and
skills. Based on the level of ground
work that have already been gained through dialogue with the provinces, the government
through my Ministry is committed to further advance and consolidate the ongoing
reconciliation processes at both the provincial and national levels.
Having
said this, intra-community reconciliations are just as equally important
through which the Ministry is promoting community initiatives. As an example, recently the Ministry took
part in the South Guadalcanal Constituency Inter-ward meetings and was pleased
with the approach and the community initiatives and financing which reflected
the ownership of the process. This is a
model that other national leaders could also consider to adopt for their
respective constituencies.
Mr
Speaker, the national goal however, is
for a National Reconciliation between SIG/GPG/MPG and an Inter-provincial Reconciliation
between the two provinces directly involved.
The detailed timeframe and work program will be mapped out and will be
released shortly.
Mr
Speaker, in relation to the issue of the Bona Fide Demands of Guadalcanal and
Reconciliation, it is important to note the outcome of the Balasuna
Guadalcanal Leaders Summit of 2005 in a proposal which was submitted to
government. The prime focus was for
peace reconciliation between SIG and GPG to pave the way for further
negotiations between both parties, of which the Bona Fide Demands are just one
of the issues.
In
accepting the proposal for peace reconciliation, a SIG/GPG Taskforce was
further appointed and mandated to recommend the form, substance, date and venue
for which the proposed peace reconciliation would take place in conformity with
Mr
Speaker, the Report of this Task Force on the Solomon Islands
Government/Guadalcanal Province Government Task Force Report on Reconciliation
and Rehabilitation (2006) was received and the content noted by the Grand
Coalition Government with the understanding that it is a report that reflects
the feelings and aspirations of the people of the Province on reconciliation
and rehabilitation.
Mr
Speaker, in the light of Cabinet directives of September 2006, my Ministry is
establishing a high level government Committee to assess the recommendations of
the report with the view of formulating a government position paper. While this is normal government procedure to
ensure the involvement of all responsible ministries, in addition to the
implication of the recommendations are such that would require decisions beyond
my Ministry’s level. Obviously, there
might be the need to separate the two issues of reconciliation and
rehabilitation because of financial implications.
Sir,
the government committee will be broad based comprising of key ministries and
the committee’s assessment and recommendation will assist the Ministry in
planning the way forward.
Mr
Speaker, it is important to note that the Solomon Islands Government position
paper will form the strategies and basis for consultation and negotiation
during a planned SIG/ Guadalcanal Province Government Talks. In this regard, currently the Background
Paper and Status Paper is being prepared by my
Ministry in conjunction with other responsible Ministries. The appointment of the Government Committee
will be concluded by the end of February 2007 and the Committee should start
its deliberations by the second week of March 2007.
Mr
Speaker, thereafter, the time frames and dates for the SIG/GPG Talks on the
Peace Reconciliation will be set in close consultation with the
In
concluding, Mr Speaker, in summary:
1.
“The Bona Fide
Demands of our people from
2.
The Peace
Reconciliation first; in the manner proposed under the SIG/GPG Reconciliation
and Rehabilitation Report is what my Ministry is currently addressing. Once an amicable understanding is reached
between both parties, the next step would be the SIG/GPG Peace Reconciliation
Ceremony also in a manner agreed to by all
parties.
3.
Sir, my Ministry
promotes continued dialogue and consultation with understanding as the key
strategy.
Sir,
finally, reconciliation might be a long process; and it is not a one off
process either. It may take time before
parties can agree to move forward and inevitably a lot of resources are
involved and required. However, Mr Speaker, rebuilding of shattered human relationships,
the hurts and pains of our people is just as equally important as rebuilding of
our economy, if we are to ensure sustainable peace and national unity.
Although
reconciliation often connotes payment of compensation, and is unattractive to
many donor partners, with that understanding; the government is committed to
its national reconciliation programs.
Mr
Speaker, with those remarks, thank you for this opportunity, and I resume my
seat.