GAOMAE COMMUNITY CHIEF ARRESTED

Chief Pais (right), has been detained for leading his people across the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea border at Buin in South Bougainville in search of food.

HIS PLEAS FOR HELP FELL ON DEAF EARS . . . . . 

Chief Hillary Pais of Gaomae village made an impassioned plea for food relief assistance for his island communities last week.

The next thing he knew, he and 22 of his villagers, were arrested and placed in the Buin police station yard in South Bougainville last Saturday.

Their crime - looking for food in Buin because their food gardens back on Shortlands have run dry.

Twenty three of them, including Chief Pais (in red shirt in above picture), were handed over to Solomon Island border police on Sunday.

SI Western Division chief of police Mathias Lenialu confirmed detaining the Gaomae villagers yesterday.

Hungry children protesting the border closure at Harapa in February.

The Shortland Islanders were shipped to Gizo today (Monday) , arriving just at sunset and are now being processed.

A commentator noted: "The Sogavare government failed to send relief food for Shortlands Islanders. 

"Relief ship promised them a month ago has never arrived. Must be a ghost ship.

"And the people, out of hunger and despair, they go searching for food across the border so they can survive, and the government sends police to arrest them. Absolutely ridiculous."

Before he was detained on Saturday, Chief Pais had pleaded: "please reopen the border. My people will die in the next two to three weeks if the border remains closed. 

"We have run very low on garden food. If there is no relief supply ship and the border remains closed, I am afraid to say that the lives of young children and the elderly are at risk.

"I am appealing to Manasseh Sogavare, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, PM James Marape of PNG and President Ishmael Toroama of Bougainville to open the SI PNG border so my people can receive life giving service from Buin," Mr Pais said.

Inspector John Popui of Buin Police Station recording a speech by chief Pais of Gaomae who was pleading on behalf of his people at Kangu Beach wharf.

 

Buin Police Station Commander John Popui confirmed tonight that the 23 people were detained at the station yard last Saturday night.

He said they were processed but not charged. They were handed over to the Solomon Island PRT yesterday (Sunday, March 27).

Speaking by phone from Buin before his detention, Mr Pais said life is getting very tough on the islands without food supplies.

He said he took 30 of his people across to Buin to sell fish and to buy rice, flour, sugar, salt, oil and fuel.

"In Samanago village on Fauro Island, the people are surviving on sago and smoked fish," Mr Pais said. 

"In Nuhu village, it's the same, sago, cassava and smoked fish.

"Gaomae, Harapa and Komaleai, we are all feeling the same terrible times."

Three little angels from Gaomae. Their future doesn't look so bright.

Mr Pais, a father of 5 children, said there are 500 people in Gaomae community and the covid instigated border lockdown has really affected his people.

"We thank our brothers and sisters in South Bougainville for understanding our suffering and allowing us to cross under traditional border rights. 

Mr Pais said: "We want both SI & PNG governments and Bougainville regional government, please do something before situation gets out of hand."

Rice in Shortlands costs (in Solomon dollars) $30 per kilo, sugar is $15 per kilo and diesel fuel is $20 per litre. 

At current exchange rate, Solomon $30 = PNG Kina 11.

In Buin, a kilo of rice is PNG K5. 

Gaomae mothers sitting in front of a shop in Buin after buying their foodstuff.

It seems Chief Pais' plea has fallen on deaf ears. No regional government is taking notice of the plight of the Shortland Islanders except the Solomon Islands Opposition leader Mathew Wale, who said he considered the fate of the Shortlands people as serious.

Even, the Australia and New Zealand Governments, who are terrified of the Solomon Government courting China over a defence pact, are too blinded by rage to even look at the little hungry hands tugging at their feet.

Both regional giants have not even pressured Honiara to take a humanitarian approach to the border issue which has dragged on for a month now.

Are these governments all waiting for little innocent children to die in the Shortlands before they respond?

Keep the border open is all the people of Shortland are asking. At least they can buy food from Buin, where the locals actually understand their situation, respect their historical relationship, and welcome them with open arms.