HAVE you ever swum against a current? What about taking academic risks or making a decision that might lead to your being fired by your boss? How many of you have ever skinned a cat alive?
Taking risks can be very dangerous and regrettable. However, there are times when we need to make those difficult decisions in order to save lives and properties. That is exactly it means to ‘swim against the current.’
Let me now continue with my story. On Thursday 29 August 2024, I released an article in this paper (Solomon Star) {Issue No.8871} entitled: A tactic of shutting our mouth and instilling fear in us by imposing High Court injunctive court order: Dokoso Customary Land Logging case.
The article was about a High Court Injunctive Order issued to the people of Zaira and their families, relatives, contractors, sub-contractors, agents and invitees: not to enter Dokoso customary land or carrying out any activity within that land which is a proposed Protected Area and Conservation Site on Vangunu island in the Western Province.
The order further directed the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to assist the claimants {loggers} in ensuring that Order 1 is fully complied with. Worst still, breaching these orders will result in imprisonment and fine.
The guardians of this customary land were issued this High Court Injunctive Order. According to this order, they should have been arrested already on 15 August 2024 for violating the High Court Injunctive Order.
These innocent people knew nothing about the weight and impact this order might do to them and their livelihoods. Without their realization; they go about their daily activities and normal lives.Infact, they had breached Order 1 {a} and definitely deserved arrest and imprisonment or fine. Wow! What an inhumane act.
Presumably, Renown Surf & Cargo Ltd must have been very disappointed with the Royal Solomon Islands Police for not arresting the Zaira people. This High Court Injunctive Order was quite hard to comprehend.
On Thursday 29 September 2024, Thomas John Crawford with his Camp Manager and others went across to Oloana Bay on Dokoso Land and met with the elders from Zaira village including the tribal chief of Dokoso Land {Chief Rev. Green Jino}. The director of RSC Ltd {Thomas John Crawford} was negotiating for a ‘compromise’between the opposing party to allow logging operation to proceed. The response from the elders was: – NO! WE DO NOT WANT OUR LAND TO BE LOGGED. Thomas John Crawford was advised not to send his logging machineries into Dokoso Land.
On Friday 30 August 2024, Thomas and Roselyn travelled to Honiara by plane from Seghe {12.30pm}. On Monday 2 September 2024, Thomas John Crawford returned to Seghe by plane. In the evening of that same day, he arrived at Madou Logging Camp with three Police Officers from Seghe. It was alleged that the three Police Officers were tasked to carryout assessment in the operation site.
On Tuesday 3 September 2024; Renown Surf & Cargo Ltd successfully sneaked into Dokoso Customary Land undetected through the common boundary of Parcel Number 3 {PN 3} – a government registered land. An excavator swiftly maneuvered across the 47 meters wide Sagivi River and crawled up into a virgin forest of Dokoso Land, which had never been disturbed by any foreign pigs. Escorting this logging machine were two Asians and seven locals. They were all employed by Renown Surf & Cargo Ltd, a logging company owned by an Australian named Thomas John Crawford.
Without delay, the two chainsaw operators and their crews started felling {cutting} the trees mercilessly. They were so crazy and excited seeing those callophyllium and gema trees whose trunks were so huge and inviting. This area was a lowland forest filled with so many species of trees, palms, creeping vines and towering banyan trees. Definitely, it was the first-time for a logger to salivate on the spot, thus forgetting he was being watched. This land was a “No Go Zone” to both logging and mining companies. Around 2.30 pm {Tue 3 Sept} the chainsaw operators, excavator operator and his crew, including the security guards, were ordered to stop and move out of the land. They complied without hesitation or argument.
Renown Surf & Cargo Ltd had destroyed our forest, river and land in a time span of 2hrs. They had destroyed our livelihood and source of life. Indirectly, they murdered us. A total of 20 were felled. Nine round logs were pulled across the Sagivi river. This was one of the bigger rivers on South Vangunu that had never experienced such pollutions from logging activities. It was a very crystal clear and clean river full of life. This sacred and holiest gift from above is now partly damaged. The land we hold so dear in our lives and fought so hard to protect had received a scar from this alien pig. In our mother tongue, we call it Bue Piru.
In 1998, we re-introduced a traditional practice {system} of resource management and usage called ‘hope’ where we temporarily closed the sea, land and forest from harvesting. In 2010, work on preparation for a Protected Areas application started. And in February 2020, the PA Application was officially submitted to the Department of Environment and Conservation in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM). Since, then, the process was disturbed by anti – conservationist and pro – loggers. Six different Timber Rights Applications and Hearings were held for this same piece of land between 2015 and 2022.
Our appeal to MECDM over the issuance of a DEVELOPMENT CONSENT to Domavola Company Ltd on 1November 2022 was never heard. The delay to hear our appeal allowed this logging company to enter part of Dokoso Land. MECDM should be partly blamed for this controversial intrusion. For a total of 1 year and 10 months, the Environment Advisory Committee (EAC) failed to fulfill their duty. They should be held accountable for the destruction of our land. Had they met, the development consent could have been quashed and the illegal entry could not have happened.
No matter what, we will continue to swim against the current, taking academic risks for we know very well what we were fighting for. The good Lord knows our visions and what we are fighting for. He will stand beside our people in the midst of calamities and challenging times. God bless the guardians of Dokoso land from aliens, crooks, opportunists, bullies, robbers, thieves, greedy and selfish individuals.
NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER
By Hanz Here Jino
Zaira Village,
Southeast Vangunu, Western Province
