People’s Alliance Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka says the current riots, protests and burning of Chinatown in Honiara, Solomon Islands by anti-government protesters was painful to watch and deeply unsettling.
Rabuka says as the Commonwealth Special Envoy to the Solomon Islands in 1999, in which he helped end a conflict by brokering the peace agreement between the then government and a militant movement, Solomon Islands holds a special place in his heart.
The former Prime Minister says he urges the people of Solomon Islands to refrain from violence and make effective use of lawful means to express their concerns in a disciplined and responsible way.
He adds he urges the Solomon Islands government and various authorities to listen more carefully and sensitively to the people’s concerns and incorporate their concerns into their decision making process, so that the people experience the benefit of the government’s decision.
Rabuka says he welcomes Australia’s expeditious response in sending a peacekeeping force and expressed hope that normalcy will be restored.
