The above title comes from a USP student - Presley Mauniala - who wrote in opposition to the Asylum idea brought about by the Philip's government. I find the article quite interesting and I agree - somewhat - with the main idea of the article, but I see this saga as a move that may benefit our people instead.
First of all, Mauniala is right about the security of the nation. Asylum seekers have different backgrounds, political views, and experiences. It is therefore essential that our government reconsiders its decision or proposal to hold Asylum seekers far far away from the capital city and from law-enforcement (if the proposal materialized).
Secondly, Mauniala contention on sovereignty is also important. There is no doubt that relocation of individuals based on insecurity in their own home countries, also comes with tremendous cultural conflict. Blending in often like opposition weather patterns that often causing tornadoes. I remember some years ago in PNG when a group of Afghans were rejected by the Australian embassies in PNG and were thrown out of the embassy for the mercy of the PNG government. My friend happened to drive by the yard next to the embassy and saw them lying around with virtually nothing to eat. He brought them to his house, gave them food and assisted in deportation process. When I visited his house, none of these Afghans spoke English; the one with little English only said express the group's gratitude in two simple words - THANK YOU. One of the man never smile made me wonder how many war he had been in.
It is a fact that Asylum seekers and their hosts don't care much about cultural assimilation and the steps which seekers should take in order to assimilate or become part of the host society. This, in my view, may become a serious threat to the sovereignty of the state because we know that when minorities or seekers find themselves sandwiched between cultural barriers and dominance, violence often the result.
In US some years ago, an immigrant from Vietnam went to his work place with a rifle and shot his coworkers before turning the weapon on himself. Not until investigation revealed that the man was being bullied for the way be spoke English, being treated like a trash by his workmates. This is often the failure of Asylum seekers: sometimes money is the priority not the quality and potentials of the seekers. With that, it is important to note that to bring in foreigners and dump them on an Island surrounded by people with completely different culture would be a burden to the state, not now but maybe in the next hundred of years.
But I think Mauniala would also agree with me that if the Asylum seekers are brought to Solomon Islands with a huge fortune for the State, mi agri witim nomoa. Look, there are more illegal Chinese and foreigners living in Solomon Islands because of our failures to watch the comers and goers in our country. There were more than 300 Chinese deported back in the 90s, but the deportation suddenly stop when the government was toppled. And besides, the ones that enabling illegals in our country are the politicians themselves.
In 2005, I was helping my brother serving summons and taking evidence photos of Asian fishermen who were found to have been living in extremely terrible conditions in Ranandi area, and yes - illegally. I was sent there to take photos of the ships, their foods, crews and also talk to a few of them who knew how to communicate in basic English. In the ensuing weeks and months, we began to have regular visitors (30 of them) from these desperate Asians.
Their leader brought with him all the passports of his coworkers and we were surprised to learn that these men had legal entries to Fiji but not Solomon Islands. Further investigation revealed that the Japanese who managed the fishing operations in Solomon Islands conspired with a local politician who wavered the application process and brought these Asians to Solomon Islands illegally. The case was opened against the company and all them were flown back to their country (Indonesia).
To this day I still believe that Asians have taken over our country illegally and our country is completely incapable of monitoring who is in the country legally and who's not. You can tell by how many local Asians owning small canteens in Solomon Islanders who don't speak English or Pidgin.
Thus, if Asylum seekers entered Solomon Islanders on legal means and with huge monetary compensation to our government, I would support that idea.
My only recommendation is for the government to find a local place near the capital city so that the government keeps an eye on them. If there is an eminent danger with these seekers, the government intervenes swiftly and effectively. Instead of trying to control or monitor these seekers in a remote island near the SI / PNG border. It is indeed impractical and maybe a recipe to create instability in a region still scarred by the GRA / PNG war.
It is important that we weigh controversial issues like this one and find out how it would benefit our people before we decide whether to accuse or support.
Hem nomoa
Read Mauniala's article on Solomonstar ... CLICK HERE.
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