he troubled history of the Solomon Islands has been overlooked in the Western hemisphere, which hasn't devoted much news coverage to the politically unstable and violent region. Even the United Nations has not paid much attention to the situation, instead focusing on the current debate over nation building in Iraq. However, the case of the Solomon Islands is a valuable tool for much of the world today as it struggles with how to create stability and prosperity as quickly as possible in Iraq. Alexander Downer, the Australian foreign minister, wrote in yesterday's Wall Street Journal "nation-building is neither inherently undesirable, nor should it be in the right circumstances; and that it can be conducted on a grand scale, as in Iraq, under the glare of international attention, or on a small scale-as in our case-almost unnoticed even by the U.N." Calling the U.N. system "battered," Mr. Downing praised the PIF mission as "a model" for nation building and an example of "cooperative intervention" that should be supported by the international community.
While the situation in the Solomon Islands is smaller than the mission underway in Iraq, the two missions are alike in that they both are dedicated to ensuring the rule of law and democracy in countries that desperately need re-organization. Since the end of World War II, ethnic conflicts between rival groups residing in the hundreds of islands that comprise the state have led to a stalled economy and huge amounts of debt. In 2000, a coup against the ruling government led to torture killings, looting, rape, and a stalled economy, according to Time Asia. As a result, the Pacific Islands Forum, with Australia at the helm, undertook an initiative to bring stability to the country. After outside forces left, however, the country digressed into political turmoil once again, and consensus in the South Pacific was that an unstable state in the region could "become a haven for money launderers, gun runners, drug traffickers, people-smugglers, even terrorists" and the Pacific Islands Forum took action. Mr. Downer's editorial details how the PIF made a commitment to encourage "good governance" in the region, and as part of that commitment, the Australian-led intervention in the Solomon Islands began.
Surprisingly, the U.N. has paid little attention to the Solomon Islands. The burden has rested solely on the coalition of governments in the region, who, according to Mr. Downer, feel that "without an improvement in law and order, any further aid to the Solomons would be in vain." A collection of forces from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Kiribati, and Cook Islands have been working with the Royal Solomon Islands Police to provide security to the islands, and in the past month, over 3,000 weapons have been collected, and a militant leader has turned himself in to authorities. Once stability is restored, the coalition must focus on the debt that has halted economic progress in the country. As of September 16th, the World Bank planned on talking directly to the Solomon government, rather than the intervening forces, a signal that progress is being made. This decision came after Australia helped pay the $3 million debt incurred by the country, according to ABC Radio Australia.
One main step towards restoring law and order in the country is the trial of Harold Keke, the rebel leader who turned himself in to authorities at the Regional Assistance Mission last month. Keke has been charged with 13 offenses, including the attempted murder of a policeman and the assassination of a member of Parliament. Keke is being remanded along with his brother and three of his top commanders, pending trial, according to Go Asia Pacific News.
Additionally, the financial infrastructure of the Islands must be strengthened. Australia's aid has helped the country pay off its debts and bolster its standing with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and on September 20th, Chris Gallus, Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, announced that the financial system had stabilized. The Regional Assistance Mission placed its own experts into the Solomon government to aid with budget, customs, tax and spending control, Go Asia Pacific News reports.
The actions taken by the freedom-loving nations in the South Pacific demonstrate that when a dedicated group of concerned states puts its efforts towards a long-term goal of nation building, slow and steady progress can be achieved. The U.N.'s lack of actions in this case have benefited the Solomon Islands, as only those focused on the task at hand are involved, and the interests of the people are put first rather than the politics of the international community.
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