Concern over re-opening compensation case for 1927 Solomons massacre
Updated
A former Solomon Islands parliamentarian is warning the Government to be very careful with its move to re-open the issue of compensation for a massacre which happened 82 years ago, when Australian warships shelled a village under instructions from the former British colonial Government, leading to the deaths of an estimated two-thousand people in his constituency. Former MP for East Kwaio in Solomon Islands, Alfred Sasako, says it would re-open old wounds and lead to a flood of compensation claims.
Presenter Sam Seke
Speaker: Former MP for East Kwaio Alfred Sasako
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SAM SEKE: It was Australian warships that carried out the so-called Sinalagu massacre. In 1927 they shelled a village in the East Kwaio Hinterland on directives from the then British colonial government. The shelling was retaliation for the murder of the British district administrator who was killed by a villager who refused to pay tax. After independence almost 31 years ago, the East Kwaio chiefs asked the British Government to pay $2 billion Solomon Islands dollars or about US$262 million in compensation. The claim was turned down by the British Government due to the statue of limitations. They instead offered to consider a development package for East Kwaio. The East Kwaio chiefs rejected this offer. However the chiefs now agree to reconsider the possibility of development assistance. The current Government of Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua set up a task force to look again at the issue of compensation for the East Kwaio massacre. But the former MP for East Kwaio, Alfred Sasako, is rejecting the idea. He says not only would this stir up disharmony in East Kwaio, but also lead to a flood of compensation claims.
ALFRED SASAKO: I'm not against financial provision to get a committee going. I am against paying a compensation for one particular ethnic group while ignoring the others, because as you will recall during this thing that triggered the whole thing off in the killing of Mr Bell, a lot of Solomon Islanders from other parts of the country were also murdered so, you know, rather than singling out one particular group, which I think could be opening a Pandora's box in this case, I thought that, you know, they must be very sensitive as to how they handle it.
SAM SEKE: Mr Sasako also questions why the government has decided to form a parliamentary committee to look into the compensation issue and not an independent committee.
ALFRED SASAKO: An independent committee rather than a political one should deal with the whole issue and they then will forward any recommendations on the way forward to that parliamentary committee.
