14 May 2004

Solomons peace council backs truth commission call

3:25 pm on 14 May 2004

The Solomon Islands National Peace Council is backing calls for an independent commission to look into the ethnic unrest in the last decade.

The calls have come from Andrew Nori, the former spokesperson for one of the militia groups, the Malaita Eagle Force and the Opposition's spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Alfred Sasako.

The chairman of the National Peace Council, Paul Tovua, says any inquiry should focus on the human rights abuses that occurred during the troubles.

"The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights should have an office set up here in the Solomon Islands so that they could investigate certain claims or certain crimes, human rights abuse."

Paul Tovua