Anyway, in recent weeks, I've decided to send a request for membership after one of the founding members of FSII, initially requested to be one of my friends in the social media. As a trade-off, I ventured out to request membership of the FSII. Following the acceptance of my membership, which allows me to access the daily discussions, I took a pant and visited the forum. Lo and behold, it is simply a “duplication” of the Solomon Islands media during the pre and post coup media coverage of the ethnic conflict between Malaitans and Guadalcanalese in1998 to 2003.
This was a sad era in the history of the mainstream media in Solomon Islands, where ethnic lines and story taste basically dictated editorial decisions in both print and broadcasting, without due consideration to journalism ethics, editorial integrity and professional consideration. Back then, published articles, letters to the editors and broadcast news items were qualified by an unwritten rule. If it is not in the interests of the dominating group, just do not think about it. That is the promotion of one’s ethnicity, pride and image over the fundamental premises of journalism – balanced, objectivity and fairness.
Yes the situation was challenging, but it was very obvious. Understandably though, during that time, armed militants of the same ethnic group were roaming the streets of Honiara with stolen vehicles and consistently harassing, threatening and bullying law-abiding citizens, public servants, politicians, journalists and managers of media outlets, including people of their own cultural kind. Due to the unsafe environment, journalists from other ethnic groups were forced to evacuate to either other parts of the country or overseas. This situation simply gave armed criminals, their leaders and operatives, in both the media and government, a free reign. Journalists from other ethnic groups were harassed, bullied, threatened and intimidated on daily basis.
As one of a few Solomon Islands journalists, who was very outspoken about corruption in years prior to the ethnic conflict and during the crisis, I tried to negotiate my safety without success. My safety concerns were made worse by the fact that people of my ethnic group and ethnic Malaitans, were traditional enemies. The most disappointing aspect of my case was most of my strong critics at that time were former colleagues, who had turned against me, on the basis of ethnicity. Many of them also dislike my uncompromising reporting-style of ethnic-based criminal activities in the country to the international media. I was labeled as an anti-Malaitans and a national security threat.
The most disappointing thing about this case was how the leadership of the Malaitan Eagle Force (MEF), especially barrister and former politician, Andrew Nori, singled me out. He was my lawyer in one of three “defamatory cases” against myself taken by cronies of former governments. To his credit, Nori successfully defended the first case in the High Court of Solomon Islands in 1997 and 1998. Through our discussions he had also revealed that he was the legal counsel for few other cases against myself.
My decision then to ask Nori to be my legal counsel was based on a number of facts. Firstly, Nori is married to one of my distant relatives – a woman from my village in the island of Bellona, Rennell and Bellona Province, the Solomons. Secondly, we are members of the same religious group, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA). Thirdly, at the time of my court cases, Nori was heavily involved and active in the work of the SDA church in Honiara. Back then, he held the position of the Personal Ministry Leader of the Naha-SDA congregation, and fourthly, Nori has been always a prominent leader, regardless of whether or not he is a member of parliament. Prior to the ethnic tension, Nori was seen as someone with great potentials to become the next prime minister. Sadly it never eventuated because of his ethnic pride.
It was on the above basis that we developed a mutual trust that led me to ask him to be my lawyer. And through the International Federation of Journalist, which paid my legal fees, Nori successful defended my first case. The result also led to the withdrawals of other court cases against myself and the Solomon Star (my former employer), which initially refused to pay for the legal cost of my defense, despite its reliant on my evidence to defend the case and other pending cases.
My media coverage of the ethnic conflict – a few years later – simply infuriated Nori. As a result, he called my home and issued a death threat. It was taken up by armed thugs to threaten, harass and bully myself and members of my immediate family at a time when MEF armed thugs were killing people indiscriminately. To cut the story short, I left the country to Australia in early 2001, through the help of a family friend and my former employer. It was through advice and family concerns that influenced my decision to leave the country – a nation that I have spent the first 30 years of my life, including ten years of my career.
As a postgraduate student in 2002, I wrote a paper about the clear dominance by one ethnic group of the mainstream media coverage of the ethnic conflict. I presented the paper at a conference in Sydney, which was organized by the Centre for Independent Journalists at University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The publication of the paper in the regional media, simply led to a tirade of personal attacks by a senior spin-doctor of the same ethnic group, former colleagues and a handful of his regional associates against myself.
Funny in a way, they did not realize, I was researching the newspaper coverage of the conflict via copies of the Solomon Star in various libraries in Sydney and Canberra. In my finding then, almost ten out of ten published articles during the period between May 2000 to December 2001, not one single article was in anyway attempted to seek a counter view from the opposing ethnic group. This former spin-doctor and his friends should have researched the local newspapers coverage of the ethnic conflict, to find out for themselves the real facts about “media freedom” through ethnicity. It was also interesting because this same journalist was also calling for the head of a foreign colleague, who had published a story that considered as offensive to his ethnic group.
Now fast-forward that era to now, over ten years since and sadly, we are still facing the same problem of media freedom in the eyes of ethnicity in Solomon Islands. With the existence of this new medium of communication – fb – for many Solomon Islanders, who are either based overseas or locally, this struggle for ethnic dominance over others is still raging. Factual and common sense debate is not acceptable if it is not in the best interests of one ethnic group.
Unfortunately, FSII has simply carried on from where the Solomon Star, the now defunct Solomon Voice, the SI Government Information Services and SIBC have left in 2003. The attitude then with the mainstream media and still now with FSII is this - it doesn't matter what the rest of the country think or feel. As long as the pride of this one ethnic group is upheld, that’s what matter. This attitude continues to become a stumbling block to finding real solutions to our problems.
A classic example of this case is the daily news feed of the FSII. There are 'neutral" issues (minor issues) that "others" are contributing to without problems. But when an issue is sensitive to the ethnic owners of the forum, guess what? The article will be withdrawn from the news feed without any consideration to the contributor(s). On the other hand, if the article is in the best interests of the dominant ethnic group, the discussion will sustain.
Unless, we are honest enough to challenge the status quo, media freedom in the country will never be a catalyst for social, political and economic changes and for the good of our people. Problems will remain the same and unresolved because people are too scared to voice their views. Educated Solomon Islanders of other ethnic groups are intimidated to suppress their views about issues that are affecting them. The space for sustain dialogues is non-existence, not because we are not capable of doing it, but because we are too sensitive to the desire of the dominant ethnic group in the country.
In recent weeks, one of the daily newspapers in the country, the Solomon Star came out firing about the issue of “compensation”. While I sympathize with the concern of the publisher, the question is where were you during the time of the ethnic tension? The act of compensation – a form of forced extortion – in other cultures in the Solomons was legitimized by the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF), the Malaita Provincial Executive, and supported by the national government, which was intimidated by armed thugs to accept it. At that time the media didn't challenge this so-called custom of settling disputes in the Malaita culture. The media was aware of the deceitful nature of this custom and how it was exploited by MEF leadership, in extorting millions of dollars from the national government and private individuals and institutions, yet no one was willing to challenge it – why now?
Since the Solomon Star published its editorial about this issue last week (available online), the FSII did not even mention it. I guess it is because the Forum’s moderators are obviously from the same ethnic group, and they are too uncomfortable to criticize and hold accountable people of their own cultural making. From my brief browsing of the FSII, it appears to shy away from talking about real challenges and asking hard questions on how we could address issues that sparked the ethnic crisis. It also failed to discuss whether or not it is acceptable to allow former criminals and failed politicians in debates over issues and problems, which they were heavily involved in creating them.
It saddens me to read the very problems, the mainstream media in Solomon Islands, were suffering during the ethnic conflict, somehow reinvented. We kind of condoning failed politicians and criminals by allowing them to lecture us about issues, which they have vested interests in protecting their past. These individuals, amongst them include Andrew Nori, Alfred Sasako and Lesley Kwaiga, who are senior members of the FSII, were part and parcel of the problems that led Solomon Islands to where it is today – limbo.
They were the kingpins of the ethnic crisis, who helped to perpetuate criminalizing, farming and institutionalizing of “corruption” in the executive government of the Solomon Islands. Do I have to apologize for saying this? No! Our nation is in tatters because of the actions of these few and many of their cohorts, and yet they are braved enough to come out publically and tell us on daily basis what to do? I’m pretty sure the Devil will never tell God what to do in a crisis situation. It should be the other way round – right?
The most shocking fact about them is – they unashamedly criticizing the current PM by using ethnic sentiments to intimidate him and people of other ethnic groups from looking at facts. Yes the PM has a lot to answer for, but they (these individuals) are worse. They are using the very technique of intimidating people on the basis of ethnicity, which was the hallmark of the ethnic crisis. For once, these former criminals, crooks, fraudsters and failed politicians, should be reminded that the future of Solomon Islands is in limbo simply because of their selfish, greedy and ethnic pride. They seem to think that everyone in the country should be listening to their antique. They should hang their heads in shame!
In recent months, they used the FSII and the local media to vent their anger against Prime Minister Lilo. While I’m not a fan of the current Prime Minister and most of his influential inner circle stooges, I do not see these individuals any different or better than him. The difference between them and Gordon Darcy Lilo is this: Lilo is the current PM, while they are non-entities with a reputation, trying to intimidate him by hyping up ethnic sentiments.
My observation of the current PM is – he is a puppet of his inner circle from the same ethnic group. Lilo is a shrewd political operator with a strong backing from crooks and corrupt Asians. I'm pretty sure - without a doubt - the next Prime Minister will be the same: a puppet of the same ethnic group. And this is the most challenging aspect of rebuilding Solomon Islands to become a “stable” country once again. The builders of our nation are opportunists, whose only interest is to ensure that they are the first people to fill their pockets with government and aid money as soon as possible.
The fact that these individuals of the same ethnic group (with criminal histories) are pitching camps in the offices of the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition shows we are still driving with the same old bomb car. Problems will persist and corruption will remain undeterred. In effect, this is a recipe for ongoing social, political and economic instability. And these individuals are craving for its persistence because it provides them with the power to dictate to anyone whatever they wish. It is also good business because it perpetuates corruption – a lucrative scheme of making easy money. Sadly, it undermines efforts to rebuild public trust on public institutions and democratic processes since the intervention of RAMSI in June 2003.
One of the greatest strengths of the Solomon Islands prior to the conflict was the concept of the “Melanesian Way”. It entails a very valuable virtue: "Being Considerate". This virtue is the basis of our people’s equality, goodness and respect for each other. Sadly, since the ethnic conflict it disappears. And the media have suffered tremendously over it. Without a free media, there is no genuine democracy. Curtailing freedom of expression on the basis of one ethnic group interests is a recipe for undetected resentments, which will burst in due time.
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