By Joseph Juhn
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

HONIARA, Tonga-Stephen Panga, Premier of the Guadalcanal, is calling for a law change ending immunity for the soldiers working under the Regional Assistance Mision to the Soloman Islands (RAMSI) and to make them subject to the laws and prosecution of Solomon Islands.

This statement comes after a deadly shooting incident occurred on August 12 when RAMSI troops were called to break up a rock-throwing incident in a village just out of capital Honiara. In the process, one civilian was allegedly killed by two soldiers.

This was the second civilian death since the arrival of the Australian-led RAMSI force in 2003. The troops came to end years of ethnic conflict in the Solomons.

In response to the incident, Solomon’s attorney general Gabriel Suri stated that Solomon Islands wants the right to charge the soldiers if necessary.

Mr. Suri further went on to say that there were two requests – the first to grant a waiver on the immunity of RAMSI officers and personnel to allow his office to take charge of any case where evidence suggests a need to lay charges.

The second request was for Tonga to give Solomon Islands the jurisdiction over the Tongan soldiers.

Tonga’s Solicitor General Fonokalafi avoided direct comment on the incident, although admitting that Tonga would conduct its own investigation into the shooting.

Premier Panga says it is wrong that those two Tongan soldiers responsible for the death of a civilian cannot be investigated in Solomon Islands under the present law. He further claims that the newly elected Solomon Islands parliament should introduce an amendment to the Facilitation Act, which would allow for a local investigation in future incidents.

“I’m supporting the RAMSI presence in this country but just to shoot down harmless people, people who don’t have arms with them. The police have a lot of skills to protect themselves in such situations.”

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand – Guadalcanal province chief calls for law change over RAMSI shooting death – 6 September 2010

Solomon Times – Tonga Still to Respond to Government Request – 30 August 2010