30 May 2003

Call for the Solomons Government to tell the people what action it is taking to combat lawlessness

4:00 pm on 30 May 2003

A spokesman for the Civil Society Network in Solomon Islands says the Government has got to tell the people what it is doing to combat the lawlessness in the country.

Mathew Wale was commenting after the latest violence on the Guadalcanal Weather Coast where supporters of rebel leader Harold Keke this week killed at least four civilians.

This takes to 17 the deaths attributed to Keke since the end of March and around 50 over the past 2 years.

Mr Wale says the Government should tell the people what efforts, if any, are being made to stop Keke and others, such as Edmund Sae, who is on the run after being charged with the murder of Sir Frederick Soaki.

"the Prime Minister claims that they are doing a lot, well that may be so but we don't know that, and they have a responsibility as our Government to inform us of what they are doing and especially with regard to the core issues and the core areas and the institutions, democratic institutions responsible for law and order, security and so forth"