BOUGAINVILLEANS SUPPORT SHORTLANDS ISLANDERS

Three Shortlands Island girls sitting outside a shop in Buin with the owner Nicole Turumanu.

by PETERSON TSERAHA of Post-Courier, ARAWA

THE plight of Solomon islanders facing shortage of food and other household items due to the border closure has raised concern among Bougainvilleans too.

Last Saturday at least about 55 Solomon islanders illegally crossed the border right into Buin town market to sell their fish and buy store items like rice, sugar, oil, soap and fuels for outboard motors, oil and kerosene.

This was after they protested at the Harapa Border checkpoint in the Solomon Islands last Monday over the prolonged lockdown due to Covid in Solomon Islands.

Bougainvilleans have raised concerns about their fellow islanders and how their own government is not showing a duty of care to its citizens.

Hundreds have expressed their support for Shortlands Islanders on social media to be allowed to cross the border on humanitarian grounds.

Buin station commander inspector John Popui listening to the Shortland Islands spokesperson who appealed for his people to sell their fish at Buin Market last Saturday. Picture supplied.

A spokesperson for chiefs on the Bougainville side Sam Russel told Post-Courier in Arawa that the Solomon Island government really needs to review its policy regarding the lock down between PNG/Solomon islands border.

“On humanitarian grounds Solomon Islanders were allowed to sell their fish at Buin market because their own government cannot take care of them now so that is why this border really needs to be re-opened, with strict rules,” Mr Russel said.

Women and children who crossed the border said they protested because the government has failed to send them a relief supply ship.

The Shortland Islanders said they had no choice but to cross over or die in their islands due to lack of food.

A mother holding up her placard last Monday at Harapa PRT base.

“We here in the Konnou constituency in places like Orava are also close to the Solomon islands but on our side both Buin and Arawa towns are close to us, unlike our brothers on the other side Honiara and Gizo to too far away,” Mr Russel said.

“The only people who will suffer right now on Bougainville are the Tasman Islanders which borders with Ontong Java of the Malaita outer atolls of the Solomon islands, because Tasman is far off from Buka town our regional capital.

“Please on humanitarian grounds, we ask the SI Government to re-open the border up for a short time only and just monitor the situation and the movement of people and also impose strict measures like wearing masks and having passes to cross the border,” Mr Russel said.

He said that people of Buin and Orava understand the situation of Shortlands people and are willing to accommodate them in Buin when they cross for business.

“Please we ask our ABG Government and PNG Governemnt to think of our neighbours in the Shortlands and our very own Tasman islanders we cannot continue to make them suffer,” he said.