THE Government is urged to address the underlying problems of the ethnic conflict rather than jumping the gun to cover things up.
Honiara resident Francis Lakwasia made the comments ahead of the upcoming National Healing and Apology week, scheduled from July 1 to 7.
“I disputed this proposed week-long national healing and apology programme from 1st to 7th July,” he said.
He said there are a lot of issues that left unsolved or address by the government through its responsible Ministry, the Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace (MNURP).
“This includes the returning of remains of those who lost their lives in the ethnic unrest.
“Government needs to go down and address these problems. My brother lost his life in the past ethnic tension and his remains are yet to be returned.
“I discovered three graves which I believe my brother’s body was there, thus, I wrote several letters to MNURP pleading them to salvage his body but everything went futile.
“It is much better if government prioritise addressing issues that needs to be solved that is the returning of the deceased remains,” he said.
He added that the planned week-long healing and apology programme holds no water but it’s like you put a cart before a horse.
“I humbly ask the responsible Ministry to prioritise and address the real issues adding if the government continue to ignore it then this healing and apology week-long is just a waste of time and meaningless.”
Meanwhile, about 6000 people are expected to participate in the week-long national healing and apology programme starting this Friday.
This is an overdue programme but a way forward for this nation after the country had gone through the ethnic conflict from 1998-2003 on Guadalcanal.
The conflict also spilled over to the Western Solomon’s, which had also experienced the 10 years Bougainville crisis (1988-1998) on the other side of the international border at Shortlands.
The former combatants of Malaita, Guadalcanal, Marau and Western Solomon’s known as Black Sharks and Choiseul Surveillance, national government, nine provincial governments leaders, traditional chiefs and victims mainly men, women and children will attend the programme.
The Democratic Coalition Change (DCC) government has committed $6 million to bring everyone to Honiara for this historic occasion.
By STEPHEN DIISANGO
