28 May 2009

Former Solomons militants urged to testify to parliament

6:29 pm on 28 May 2009

In Solomon Islands, former militants from Malaita and Guadalcanal have been called on by the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee to give evidence before the committee which is reviewing the act that governs the mandate of the Regional Assistance Mission, or RAMSI.

The Committee has been travelling around the country getting people's views and holding public hearings before it hands its report to Parliament in November.

Since RAMSI arrived in the country six years ago, dozens of former militants have been jailed for various criminal offences committed at the height of the ethnic crisis between 2000 and 2003.

Our correspondent in Honiara, Dorothy Wickham, says a key issue for them is that Government promises of assistance for their rehabilitation have not been fulfilled.

"So part of this hearing they will give their view on what they think RAMSI is doing wrong or right and also raise some of these issues that they have raised in the media constantly over the last five years."

Dorothy Wickham