Soldiers act as deterrent to instability, says RAMSI commander

Updated June 30, 2009 17:07:22

The commander of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands says its troops, supporting police, still have an important role to play in ensuring the country's security - six years after it was first deployed. Lieutenant Colonel Neil Grimes says the military component is a deterrent to any group which might want to destabilise the national peace process.

Presenter: Sam Seke
Speaker: Lieutenant Colonel Neil Grimes, commander Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands

GRIMES: Our role, Sam, is to provide a deterrent to those people who may still be here in Solomon Islands who would like to destabilise the country or repeat the incidents of earlier this century with the tensions that were here. We also provide through that doing that deterrence direct support to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force patrolling and also we assist the International Participating Police Force whose in providing additional security and also patrolling around the towns and villages of the Solomon Islands.

SEKE: Now, what can you tell us about the contribution by the Pacific islanders from Papua New Guinea and Tonga? What about Fiji, aren't they in RAMSI military as well?

GRIMES: RAMSI (sic) continued to provide police and some civilians to RAMSI, but for the last couple of years have not contributed any military components.

SEKE: You mean Fiji?

GRIMES: That's right, that's Fiji. The other nations Papua New Guinea and Tonga provide troops on a rotational basis and they are very much part of the daily activity that we do in support of the police forces and they do a fantastic job, because of course they already understand the Melanesian culture very well, they are islanders themselves and they relate extremely well to the local communities and in the case of the PNG soldiers, they also speak the language. So when they are visiting villages and working alongside Solomon Islanders, they have the natural advantage of speaking the language and understanding the culture, so it's a great asset to the combined taskforce here.

SEKE: Now, I know Solomon Islands does not have a paramilitary force anymore, but do you get along with the local police?

GRIMES: Yes, very much so. Again Sam, we found that in every case the Royal Solomon Islands Police officers that we patrol with have been both appreciative of our involvement and support for them, but have also explained things to our soldiers about how to deal with situations and have interacted extremely well.

SEKE: And what about the local government, the Solomon Islands Government, how appreciative are they of what you are doing there, the defence contingent?

GRIMES: As part of my job, Sam, I get to spend a fair bit of time amongst the RAMSI executives and those executives in turn spend a fair bit of time with local Solomon Islands politicians and eminent persons here, and I have to say all the feedback I get from people I meet in those circles is very positive. They believe that the military in all of the years we've been here, since 2003, has done a first class job, has won the confidence of the local people, has won the confidence of the local governments here, and the National Government here of course. They believe that RAMSI's military is what's sets the scene for security here and with us continuing to support police, they believe that our mission is very important to them and they are very happy to have us here.