Guadalcanal Situation: August 1999
Over the years many
other Solomon Islanders have come to Guadalcanal to live and work
. There has always been ethnic and economic tension between these
arrivals and the Gauadal natives . In June these tensions exploded
into ethnic violence . Local people have tried to drive out all Maliatia
Island people . This has resulted in murder , arson and a flood of
refugees leaving the island . This has also extended to all non-Guadal
Islanders .
Areas East of the Ilu
River are now unsafe to travel freely . Similarly the area West of Kokumbona
is controlled by the “Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army” and can be unsafe
. Crime has increased in the wake of this , divers at wreck sites West
of Honiara have been shot at and tourists robbed at resorts . The phone
system is not working regularly , with non Guadal natives having their
phones cut off .
The
village at Vilu is deserted, but at present the relics have not been
damaged . Similarly the village at Edsons Ridge is deserte. Anyone looking
around battle sites now is regarded suspiciously and runs the risk of
being accused of being a “spy”. Some Guadal islanders on Mt. Austen
have been shot dead in “payback” killings .
After having driven the
non-Guadal natives into the area around Honiara there is a stand off.
They cannot safely go outside Honiara and the locals cannot safely come
into Honiara . This has of course had an effect on the Honiara market.
Local Clan chiefs want to calm things down , but there are plently of
young militants. Not a safe environment for tourism in general or any
sort of battlefield exploration in particular .
