Freedom in the World 2004 - Solomon Islands

Political Rights: 3
Civil Liberties: 3
Status: Partly Free
Population: 500,000
GNI/Capita: $570
Life Expectancy: 71
Religious Groups: Anglican (45 percent) Roman Catholic (18 percent), other [including indigenous beliefs (37 percent)
Ethnic Groups: Melanesian (93 percent), Polynesian (4 percent), Micronesian (1.5 percent), other (1.5 percent)
Capital: Honiara

Overview

Restoring peace and order to the Solomon Islands were top priorities in 2003 for this country recently torn apart by fierce ethnic conflict. The government called for military help from Australia and New Zealand in June 2003 and approved an Australian-led intervention force on July 29. In another move toward ensuring peace and stability, one of the major militant groups involved in the conflict handed over a large number of its weapons to the Australian forces.

The Solomon Islands, which is composed of more than 27 islands and 70 language groups, gained independence in 1978 after having been a protectorate of the United Kingdom. However, clan identity remains much stronger than national identity and a deep source of ethnic rivalry. Tensions between the two largest groups, the Guadalcanalese, natives of the main island of Guadalcanal, and the Malaitans, who come from the nearby province of Malaita, over jobs and land rights erupted into open warfare in 1998. The Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM) claimed representation of native Guadalcanalese interests and forced the eviction of some 30,000 Malaitans from Guadalcanal. Scores were injured or killed in the fighting that followed between the IFM and the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF), formed from groups of armed Malaitans.

Prime Minister Bartholomew Ulufa'ala, a Malaitan, was taken hostage in June 2000 by the MEF, which seized control of the capital, Honiara. Ulufa'ala was forced to resign and was replaced by Mannasseh Sogavare. Fighting officially ended with the Townsville Peace Agreement of October 2000, which was brokered by Australia and New Zealand. The agreement provides for the "restructure of the police force, a weapons amnesty, and reconciliation." Both countries sent unarmed peacekeepers to supervise the handover of arms, many of which had been brought in from Bougainville in Papua New Guinea when fighting ended there in 1998. However, the Malaitan militants' refusal to accept the treaty hindered the peace process. Harold Keke, leader of the militants, was alleged to have killed 50 people and burned entire villages in the Weather Coast region of Guadalcanal after the accord was signed. Armed gangs also continued to operate in many parts of the country, including the capital city, causing the prime minister to stay out of Honiara for security reasons and cabinet meetings to be held in secret locations. Parliamentary elections in December 2001 brought a new government to power under Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza.

Australia and New Zealand provide the bulk of resources, including 2,000 personnel (200 police, 200 military personnel, and 1,500 support staff) to assist the Solomon Islands in its recovery. The Australian-led "Operation Help a Friend" was approved by the Solomon Islands government on July 29, 2003 and endorsed by the United Nations in August. This operation continues where a UN mission left off when its commitment ended in June. The first personnel arrived on Guadalcanal island on July 23, and the operation will continue until local police regain control and government structures and legal systems are operating effectively. Australia stated that the mission is also necessary to prevent the islands from becoming a haven for drug trafficking and money laundering. Australia also committed to doubling its bilateral financial aid to the islands from the current $37 million.

Another step toward consolidating peace and order was realized in August when MEF chief Jimmy Rasta ordered his men to surrender their weapons to the Australian led intervention force. By the end of September, nearly 4,000 weapons were collected. Also in August, Harold Keke, leader of a band of Malaitan militants, surrendered. The government charged Keke and his top lieutenants in September with the murder of seven Anglican brothers.

As stability was slowly being reestablished, Prime Minister Kemakeza attempted to reform the government, including removing eight department heads in September for failure to perform their duties. However, the challenges remain considerable. For example, the province of Rennell-Bellona, south of Guadalcanal, declared in August its desire to secede and proposed a federal system. A government study also reported greater support for a federal system.

On another front, the country signed a bilateral agreement with the United States that provides U.S. citizens with immunity from prosecution by the International Court of Justice created by the Treaty of Rome, which the United States opposes and is not a party to. The refusal to conclude this agreement would have risked a loss to the Solomon Islands' of all U.S. military assistance.

The country's economy, which has contracted by 25 percent since 2001, is in shambles. Debt arrears reached $35 million, or the entire basic revenue collected for 2003.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Citizens of the Solomon Islands can change their government democratically. The government is a modified parliamentary system with a 50-member, single-chamber Legislative Assembly. Suffrage is universal for persons 18 years and over. A parliamentary majority elects the prime minister, the chief executive, who appoints his own cabinet.

Freedom of expression and of the press are generally respected in practice. Media reports on corruption and abuses by politicians frequently make headlines. Those alleged of wrongdoing sometimes use legal and extralegal means to intimidate journalists. However, the government has not systematically suppressed press freedom, leaving matters to the courts for adjudication.

Freedom of religion is generally respected in practice. Academic freedom is also respected despite serious disruptions in instruction and research as a result of the recent violence and lack of government funding.

Numerous domestic nongovernmental organizations operate freely, with most engaging in developmental or religious activity. In 2001, the Civil Society Network, an umbrella group, was formed to provide oversight to government activity; the group regularly criticizes corruption and abuses by government officials. Workers are free to organize, and strikes are permitted. Wage earners represent 10 to 15 percent of the workforce in the country's formal economy.

The judicial system has barely functioned since the coup attempt in 2000. A lack of resources limits defendants' right to counsel, while those in prison face lengthy pretrial detentions due to delays in court hearings. Threats against judges and prosecutors weaken the independence and rigor of the judiciary. Moreover, the government's decision to grant amnesty for crimes committed in connection with the June 2000 coup and events leading up to it as part of the Townsville accord has encouraged an atmosphere of impunity.

The constitution provides for an ombudsman, with the power to subpoena and investigate complaints of official abuse, mistreatment, or unfair treatment. The ombudsman's office has potentially far-reaching powers but is limited by a lack of resources.

Law enforcement relies on a civilian-controlled police force of about 1,000 persons, which has become factionalized and has not functioned effectively since the 2000 coup, when many Malaitan officers joined the MEF. The hiring of about 1,200 untrained former militants as "special constables" to stop fighting has also caused problems. For example, members of this group and the paramilitary Police Field Force have been implicated in many criminal activities. When the police chief attempted to demobilize 800 of the special police in 2003, some 300 protested to demand outstanding salaries and claims before termination. The country has no army.

Despite legal guarantees of equal rights, discrimination limits the economic and political roles of women. No laws prohibit domestic violence, although rape and common assault are illegal. Reports of violence against adult and teenage women have increased since the coup in June 2000.