FEATURE: Wakabaot Tokok

The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands is entering its seventh year of operations.

Since arriving in a lawless Solomon Islands, the taskforce has successfully disarmed militants and restored order and is working to rebuild the country's police and its administration.

RAMSI is also running an innovative community consultation program that visits Solomon Islanders where they live.

Radio Australia's Jemima Garrett went along to one such meeting, known as a Wokabot Toktok, to see what Solomon Islanders were talking about.

Jemima Garrett

Last Updated: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:03:00 +1000

The bell at Mauro village in Malaita province rings out to let everyone know the convoy of Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) officials, police and army officers has arrived.

As the convoy turns into to the village the sight of a truckload of Australian army officers frightens some of the children but they are soon kicking a football around as people gather.

The village looks peaceful but, like so many places in Solomon Islands, the scars from the years of ethnic violence are still to be healed.

The tension began on the main island of Guadalcanal where landowners felt overrun by people from other islands, particularly those from Malaita.

As the police force and government services collapsed, violence spread throughout the country.

Chris Tarohimae was one Malaitan who was affected by the violence almost a decade ago.

"During the tension my house was ransacked by Malaitan militants. They told me to buy a TV screen. I refused. So they said 'OK'," said Mr Tarohimae

"Later that day they went up to my house and destroyed the house that I was renting and took off with what valuable goods were inside that house."

"I was chased three times by Malaita Eagles (force) militants; three times with high powered weapons. I was lucky to be alive."

Chris Tarohimae is now RAMSI's Outreach Co-ordinator and is leading the Wokabot Toktok in Mauro.

Each Wokabot Toktok is a lively community consultation lasting up to 5 hours.

In his four years as RAMSI Outreach Co-ordinator, Chris Tarohimae, has done long ones and short ones and visited almost every part of his far-flung country.

He says Wokabot Toktok is a good way of listening to the concerns of Solomon Islanders.

"This is a very good avenue so that people can know about RAMSI and its work, but at the same time discusses...some very important issues that are still in the mind of people."

"That is where you will hear...alright how do people feel about RAMSI? What's some of the issues with RAMSI and Solomon Islands government? That is where we discuss together."

"You get good feedback from the people; what they want, what they want about RAMSI, what they want about government...the freedom of expressing their mind."

At the Wokabot Toktok at Mauro village, after introductions are made, the crowd breaks into groups to have their say.

A host of issues come up - from what RAMSI is doing to help women and young people in villages like Mauro through to details of the government's budget.

There's also concern about the rebuilding of the Royal Solomon Islands police force.

One villager, Colin says policing is still not getting to the community level and, when it does the Solomons police don't live up to the standard people expect.

"From the point of view of our own policemen there is a lot of wantok (clan member) business."

"That's the thing that causes, the not really improvement in law because they don't really do what the law says," he said.

He says Solomons police still favour their wantoks.

"That's right, favouring...whereas the others, Australian police, when there is a crime...they just walk up straight away and even if they are drinking, they pour their beers out and there is some arrest. I want our policemen to be like that."

After much discussion it's time for RAMSI and Solomon Island Government officials to answer questions from the crowd.

Officials answer a range of questions, from prisons to RAMSI's efforts to bring Solomons' legislation into line with international human rights.

Chris Tarohimae, RAMSI's Outreach Co-ordinator, takes one the question about the hostility Malaitans face from other Solomon Islanders.

He explains what the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be doing to tackle the problem and the steps towards healing being sponsored by the national and provincial governments.

At the end of the consultation, host Mauro's Chief Kenneth Buarii, told Radio Australia that he was happy with the Wokabot Toktok.

"In the future, I hope my community is going to change some attitudes. That some complaints that we had, will become reality and understanding by people here."

He says he hopes RAMSI's visit has been able to satisfy some of the fears of people in his village.

"I hope for the answers people are satisfied...really satisfied. Because they already hear from those who are in that mission as RAMSI and they see how they present those answers to those questions. I hope that people understand."

And while Wokabot Toktoks continue to build confidence in Solomon Islands, Chris Tarohimae says RAMSI still has a while to go in building the country's institutions before it can leave.

"There are some institutions that are doing very well. There are some institutions within the government that need a lot of time,"

"So we can say 5 to 10 years before those things return back and they can have government confidence to handle themselves."

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