Melanesian leaders condemn Australian-led raid on Solomon PM's office

Melanesian leaders on Monday condemned the raid by Australian-led police upon the office of the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Sogavare and his counterparts in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu said in a statement released here that the Australian-led police's actions in Honiara, the Solomon Islands, on last Friday " are certainly a series violation of Solomon Islands territorial sovereignty and integrity."

The actions resulted in the "breaking down of a door and removal of equipment" from Sogavare's office, the statement said.

The raid was made to search evidence of how a child sex suspect Julian Moti had made clandestine escape from his custody in Papua New Guinea to the Solomons. Australia is seeking the extradition of Moti, an Australian lawyer Sogavare wants to name as the Solomons' next attorney-general.

The raid was made just after Sogavare left for Nadi to attend the Pacific Islands Forum.

The Melanesian leaders described the actions as "provocative, uncalled for and unnecessary," adding "proper courtesies and protocols could have been observed."

They expressed concerns that the actions of certain members of the multi-nation Participating Police Force in the Solomons have " brought disrespect" to the operations of the Australian-led regional assistance mission in the island country, known as RAMSI.

The actions "tainted the good image and credibility of RAMSI," the statement said.

Source: Xinhua