MY ETHNIC UNREST STORY: SOLOMON ISLANDS

 Jimmy Rasta former rebel  MEF leader

It was my last year of elementary school and if there was one thing that I was aware of is behavioural change in of one of my class mates. A bright student like who likes competing for the top spot in the class ranking. He became agitated and always fighting and spitting out threats to every one in class. Its always the same that some so-called militia group will kill those who oppose their regime. I wasn't aware that an uprising was in progress, for me life was simple, I go to school return home after lunch. During the weekends if I'm allowed I play with my neighbours, go to church and study.

Then I notice that 2 of my classmates stop coming to school and whenever I ask my teacher about it she replied with " have you done your home work?" . After a while I gave up and started asking around, my other classmates just brush it off however  there was  this one other girl who is related to the teacher explained to me that they cant come to school any more because they are from Guadalcanal province and whoever is from that particular province have to return home for their safety.

I was even more confused, I mention this to my mum and she looked worried but wouldn't say anything. Not even my siblings talked about it, I overheard my neighbour telling my mum that her colleague from Guadalcanal left abruptly leaving a vacant position in the office. I was curious to find out what was happening, anxiously waiting for my dads weekly call from overseas, thinking he might explain all these secrecy. When I finally get to talk with him all he said was concentrate on your studies. 

Harold Keke Former Rebel leader

It happened one day when my friends and I remain at school to play at the slides. There was a loud cry and people were running in the direction of the city. Most of them were carrying belongings as if they were rushed out of the house. There were truck loads after truck loads of people being dropped off and rushing back for more. Our school was located next to the Police station and the military so we were able to hear the sirens rushing off towards the vacated area. Unlike the rest of my friends who started crying I was more confused than scared. Our teacher, the wife of a policeman knew exactly what to do, she was calm and told the security to close the gates. After that she divided us according to where we live and have other teachers take us home. In my group we live far, right in the middle of the city so she manage to get a kind stranger to take us home.

I went home and told my mum about what happened and asked her what was that about? she said " don't worry, they are not after us".

A week later everything seemed normal again, my friends return to school, the angry classmate stop making threats and things were good. I left with my family to Fiji for holidays that was in December 1999.

We return in time to celebrate new year 2000 back home and started junior high school the following months. My school was a state school so we always started later than the other school because of funding issues with the  government . 

Australian Lead intervention force RAMSI

In June we all left for the provinces, my dad was still overseas, I was sent to my dads  province earlier with my elder brother. My mum was scheduled to arrive a week after that. Later on the same week we heard the news that another rebel group (Malaita Eagle Force) took control of the city. Held the prime minister hostage til he promise to step down from power.  Most of the people living in the city fled to their respective provinces due to security reasons.

Life during that period was hard, prices rocketed as the entrepreneurs realise that their stocks were plummeting with no guarantee that they will receive new stocks within the following weeks. Fuel was running out and the demand cause the sellers to increase their selling price. For most of us life seems bleak, we were running out of food fast but were too scared to return to the city. My mum couldn't stand it anymore and decided that we should return to the city, she rather took chances than sitting around dying of starvation. We arrive to an empty city, most of the shops were closed and there were tents every where. Occupied by dirty looking wanna be  soldiers, the streets were littered with cartoons, broken bottles and even human  feces.

My mum left us there and went in search of our car, she found it parked behind my dads old office still in running condition with enough fuel to get us home. We were lucky to find our house just like we left it. Unfortunately for our neighbour, the toy soldiers damaged his house and used it as their rebel base.

We try to remain in doors as much as possible, but we can still hear the drunk rebels going around with their high powered rifle. The worst thing about it is, they were always drunk and those guns were designed for highly trained professionals. Sometimes they show off with their guns and start firing into the air, not knowing what goes up must come down.

Our next biggest problem was to get our dad home, all flights to the Solomon Islands were cancelled. And he was running out of money, my mum tried calling the airlines but there was no way to bring him home. Finally there was some good news, the airlines decided to do one last flight for the remaining students stranded in Fiji and New Zealand. My dad was lucky to reserve a seat and made it back safely.

Every day there were rumours about the evils that the rebels were up to. They break into homes steal valuables, take vehicles and even take the daughters. People were scared to talk about them openly but we all know what was going on. The rebels left their wives and family and started hanging out with the whores for finally in their sad sad life they could afford Pepsi. They get money left and right, from the government, from the Chinese who paid them for protection and money they demanded from people and business houses. In the end I don't know who we were so scared of, all I know its not the Isatanbu Movement Fighters (the other rebel group)anymore, it was the parasites that were terrorising the lives of the civilians. The other warring party hid out in the jungle far away from us, sure they were doing horrible things too but these hooligans were not fighting at all just stealing , getting drunk and raping.

My dad feared for me and my elder sister so he arranged for us to be transferred to a school in the province with my brother. While my mum return to my dads province. When I realised my dad intended to stay in the city I declined, I couldn't leave my dad here alone. I begged him to let me stay, in the end he allowed me to remain with him. The 2 of us remained in town he goes to work while I complete my first year of Junior high school. The months flew by faster than I expected, I witness more evil and corrupt than any 13 year old should but I was determined to remain brave for my dad.

December 2001, we left for the province to be united with the rest of the family again, my elder brother and sister were not adjusting well to their new school so my parents had no choice but to bring us back to the city.

By this time the Townsville peace agreement was already agreed upon and signed by the 2 warring parties followed by another peace agreement. However the situation remained the same, the guns were still at large. The crime rate rose and  with no police force it was hell.

We moved houses that same year, into another friendly neighborhood, we all have similar stories. We were stranded at some point, held at gun point, demanded money from but were all happy to be alive and together.

One Sunday morning while my mother was at church, the rebels came to our doorstep demanding the we give them the keys to our car. My dad was more annoyed than scared he stood up to them saying no!. The guy held high powered rifle that we only see in movies, I was standing next to my dad and I recognise the kid. He use to come to this neighborhood and hang out with my elder brother. After a while they got tired and left, I knew right  then and there that deep down these men are just cowards....

For most of us we just hope for a better tomorrow, another corrupt leader came into power and the country's economy just spiral downwards. For me I just pray that I get the chance to complete my education its something that we were taught to value. A lot of youths gave up any hope of continuing on with their education, they just drop out and join the rebels while others return to the provinces. 

In 2001 another prime minister was voted into power. Nothing changed, there was still fighting outside of the capital and in the city armed men continue to be a menace. Demanding money from the government, money they don't deserve. They held the finance minister at gun point to sign a check made out to the militia group.

Then the fighting escalated, this time between the Malaitans (who were settling in western province) and the Locals. As counter measure some of the locals invited the renegade members of BRA (bougainville revolutionary army) which caused more problem than good.

Because of that incident , the militia group started looking for the locals from western province residing in the city, my dad included.  That became another scare, thank fully when they came around our area, our neighbors lie and sent them on their way. My family had to remain indoors til the matter settled.

Early 2003, there were talks about a joint  intervention lead by Australia. Their main aim was to restore law and order, this was welcomed by majority of the population. They finally arrived in mid 2003, real soldiers marching into the city, it was beautiful. Some of the locals were touched, mothers cried, this is what they've been praying for, for the past 3 years.

I was in school when they arrived, when half the girls in my class were talking about how handsome the soldiers were, I was thinking about university. Finally I can dream again about getting a degree or even become a professor. There is light where my education was concern.

The former rebels might live their lives like a king those past 3 years but they gained nothing, the only people who benefit from this were the ones puling the strings and the Chinese who sell goods t the former rebels.

My family escaped with no loss or damages to our property, every day we thank God for his care during that period. We saw the pain other families went through, their homes were destroyed and burnt, properties stolen even got beaten up. still we all feel the same pain, that pain is seeing our country went from a struggling nation to a failed state.......