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Family ties turn dangerous

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Dr Natasha Khan a Human rights defender in Fiji, and also the current Chair of the Pacific Human Rights Defenders' Network.

JOHN HOUANIHAU

Studies have found that 78 percent of child abuse perpetrators were immediate family members.

Dr Natasha Khan a Human rights defender in Fiji, and also the current Chair of the Pacific Human Rights Defenders’ Network said at the recently concluded human rights defender (HRD) workshop in Honiara.

Natasha said the findings were made possible through research they conducted in 2019 for the Department of Women and Children in Fiji regarding the causes relating to child abuse and violence.

She highlighted the matter when she responded to a question raised by one of the USP-SI students on the rise and the cause of increased rape cases in the country.

According to Khan, she said that they found two major reasons for child abuse or sexual violence across the board.

“One is the opportunity- the perpetrator had the opportunity and accessibility to the child and Two is the security, perpetrators knew that they would get away with it or they did not know what abuse is,’’ she said. 

Khan said that there is a common assumption that the stepfathers or strangers are bad.

“The assumption in our minds that stepfathers and strangers are bad yet it’s the ones inside our home, the homes,’’ she said.

“78% of the perpetrators were immediate family members, grandfathers, fathers. The majority of them are brothers, fathers, grandfathers. Stepfathers only make up 7.5%,’’ said Khan.

She said that it is something the Solomon Islands could also look at in terms of conducting research and providing data on the ground to find out the root cause of increased child abuse, especially rape in the country.

“So, this is something the Solomon Islands can look at, like collecting data and doing some research, something similar to find out what causes child abuse in the community,’’ she said.

Rape charge changed to indecent act

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BY ROMINAH FAKA

The case against a 20-year-old man has been changed from rape to indecent act.

Court heard yesterday investigation is ongoing.

Prosecution sought 14-day adjournment for time to collect outstanding documents.

Court adjourned for October 28 and ordered the accused to remain in custody.

The victim in this matter is a juvenile, a 11-year-old girl when the offence took place.

Police alleged on August 20, 2024 the victim, her brother, her aunt and uncle and their children including the defendant where at the victim uncle house having dinner.

After the dinner, they watched a movie on the defendant’s phone.

While watching the movie, the victim fell asleep while the others continued watching the movie.

It was alleged the victim’s brother woke her up and told her to go upstairs in their dwelling house to sleep.

The victim then left and instead of going upstairs, she went and laid on their hammock under the house.

The accused later came and committed the sexual acts on her.

The uncle and aunties later reported the matter to police and the defendant was arrested.

Irene Mae of Office of Director of Public Prosecution appears for the crown and PSO for the accused.

Bonfire festival draws fans for a vibrant celebration of Pacific music

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Jaro local hyped the crowd at the Bonfire Fest on Saturday.

BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

The Bonfire Festival 2024 ignited a vibrant celebration of Pacific music on Saturday night, attracting around 3,000 enthusiastic fans.

The event featured an eclectic lineup of renowned artists from the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu, showcasing the diverse sounds of Pacific music.

Vanuatu artist Shazza rocked the crowd on Saturday

Starting at 7 PM and extending late into the night, the festival dazzled attendees with captivating lighting effects and electrifying performances. Music lovers were treated to live acts from acclaimed local talents like Jahboy, Jaro Local, Blanco, Ruff Neck, Devande, One Tox, and Young Devi. The event also featured special appearances from Papua New Guinean artist Tonton Malele and Ni-Vanuatu performers Shazza and Stonie B.

Tonton Malele from PNG.

In an exclusive interview, Jaro Local expressed his gratitude, saying, “We have a strong support system and wonderful people around us. This is why we were able to make this show a success beyond our expectations. I am immensely grateful to everyone who contributed their efforts to Bonfire 2024.” He further commended the performers, adding, “All the bands and artists performed admirably, and the audience’s response was very positive. A special thanks to our MC, Solo Boy, for his excellent work throughout the event.”

Ismuki performed at the event.

Paeva from the Black Wine Band, who took part as a session musician, shared his experience, highlighting the joy of working with younger artists and his commitment to the local music scene. “As an artist, it brings me joy to be surrounded by talented musicians who spread love and peace to humanity. This evening represents a significant achievement not only for us but also for the Solomon Islands and our local musicians. Whenever we travel abroad, we strive to promote our own music,” he remarked, speaking as the head of Big Wave Production studio.

Master of Ceremony Mr Duane Baiabe also expressed his delight, noting, “I was fortunate to serve as the MC for Bonfire 2024. Among all the major festivals in town, this one stood out as the best due to its seamless execution without disturbances. A big shoutout to Telekom, the gold sponsor of the Bonfire Festival 2024, and to all the other sponsors—thank you very much.” The Bonfire Festival 2024 has set a new standard for music festivals in the region, leaving attendees and performers alike eager for future events

POLLUTION RISK IN SI

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118 of 210 shipwrecks in SI considered as pollution threats

BY LORETTA B MANELE

ONE hundred and eighteen of 210 shipwrecks in Solomon Islands could be considered as pollution threats.

This is according to Dr Matt Carter, the research director for “major project foundations” who spoke about the status of Potentially Polluting Wrecks (PPW) in Solomon Islands at the “Strengthening Marine Pollution Incident Resilience in the Pacific Islands” workshop last week at the Heritage Park Hotel.

A potentially polluting wreck (PPW) is said to be a shipwreck which holds fuel or cargo that could cause environmental harm.

In Solomon Islands, around 210 major wrecks were found across the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and 118 of these could be considered as pollution threats.

“We believe around 118 of those could be considered pollution threats, and we’ve identified a top 20 of highest kind of risk, and we’ve gone through and actually done some additional research on those top 20”

Carter expressed that fuel from these wrecks can be the fuel from the ship itself, including a cargo like a fuel tanker that has oil as well as hydrocarbons.

He emphasized that it’s these kinds of wrecks that pose an environmental hazard in Solomons and in the Pacific.

Carter said an additional problem with these shipwrecks is that a lot of them still contain unexploded ordinances.

Apart from PPWs there are also APWs (Actively Polluting Wrecks) as well.

He said this is happening now because some of the shipwrecks are out there, just a couple of kilometres away and are leaking oil and are actively polluting the environment.

“Some of them are doing that in what we call chronic leakage where relatively small amounts of oil coming are out, coming to the surface over a long period of time. That can still be toxic for sensitive species, especially small baby fish and coral. So even though it might be a small amount, it can still do damage”

Speaking of the 118 wrecks, Carter said from the top 20 highest kind of risks identified they broken down those top 20 into four core areas of where these wrecks are.

He said “Area 1” is Honiara and surrounding areas where the shipwrecks there range basically on the shore, from zero metres deep to 130 metres deep.

Carter mentioned that they are in a range that’s challenging but it’s not incredibly difficult to investigate these shipwrecks.

Area 2 is said to be the area around Savo Islands with shipwrecks 750 to 2,500 metres deep which as stated as very deep in terms of any sort of marine work.

Carter said even though these wrecks are really deep, traditionally people haven’t really worried about deep shipwrecks.

However, he mentioned that satellite imagery shows that oil is coming to the surface of the sea from these wrecks.

Tulagi and surrounding areas come under Area 3 and as mentioned, this area has shallower wrecks.

“These are shallower wrecks again, so anything kind of deeper than about 80 metres starts becoming really quite challenging, but these are, they’re at a depth that they can be investigated with the right equipment to understand what condition they’re in”

Lastly, there is Area 4 which is the Western Solomons and the three wrecks identified in this region as noted could either be potentially polluting or actively polluting wrecks that require further research.

Carter said nobody really knows how much oil has been lost from these wrecks and if a shipwreck’s leaking even a small amount over a long period of time, that can significantly reduce how much oil is in it today.

He stressed that there’s around 8800 shipwrecks right across the world and this is a global problem.

Carter said what they’ve found is that in some shipwrecks, people look at it and say that it can’t hold an oil.

This however differs in quantities and how sensitive the wreck-stricken area is.

Carter said some of these wrecks do hold oil, even in small quantities and if a ship wreck is in a sensitive enough area and releases oil, it can cause really significant damage.

“So, something which I’ve got here is the wrong wreck in the wrong place. It can be even a small amount, it can be really damaging, or the opposite to that too”

Innovative initiative bridges business gaps

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    Nambi Pituvaka

    BY INDY MAEALASIA

    LOCAL entrepreneurs in the Solomon Islands face significant hurdles—limited promotions and fragmented information keep their businesses hidden from potential customers, however, one ambitious entrepreneur is rising to the challenge with her innovative initiative aimed at bridging this gap.

    Twenty-nine-year-old Nambi Pituvaka, owner and founder of “Solomon Savvy”, aims to solve the issues by designing a “centralized information system” that serves as a directory for local businesses and entrepreneurs.

    Her grand idea involves setting up a dedicated booth at the airport where international travelers- her primary targeted customers- can access printed brochures featuring local businesses, activities, and services such as transportation, Arts and Craft and many more.

     By providing easy access to this information, she aims to cater not only to tourists but also to locals who may be unaware of available options.

    “Even people in the country are not aware of some of these entrepreneurs and their businesses,” Pituvaka remarked, “Though there are several existing promotions, very few businesses have the visibility they deserve.” 

    Her initiative was fueled by a visit to the United States a few years ago, where she had her “light bulb moment,” “I traveled to the US and saw how technology plays a huge role in their daily lives, where people simply scan brochures and access various services,” she recalled.

    Describing herself as an “adventurous type,” Pituvaka has progressively laid the groundwork for her dream. She usually travels out of Honiara on sightseeing trips to connect with local entrepreneurs and build her network.

    However, she recognizes that much work remains. This includes collaborating closely with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce, and local entrepreneurs.

    Recently, Pituvaka took a significant step toward realizing her dream by joining the inaugural cohort of thirty-three women participating in the US-funded Academy of Women Entrepreneurship (AWE), launched last month.

     Reflecting on how the program will aid her efforts, she expressed its potential impact, “This program provides an invaluable opportunity for female entrepreneurs like myself to learn how to manage our businesses and effectively execute our goals financially,” she added.

    ‘Honoring the memory of my late father’

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      Chris Kamu'ana Rohoimae. Photo supplied.

      BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

      Chris Kamu’ana Rohoimae is set to grace the WOMADelaide stage in 2025, after emerging victorious in the Pacific Break 2024 competition.

      Reflecting on this achievement, Chris shared his emotions with Island Sun, expressing a deep wish for his late father to witness this milestone. “I feel quite emotional because I wish my father could have seen this moment. He often told me that great opportunities for our music were on the horizon. Now, reflecting on his words, I have achieved what he envisioned, and I wish he were here to witness it,” Chris revealed.

      Raised in a musically rich environment, Chris was profoundly influenced by his late father, a musician who led the Narasirato panpipers and traveled worldwide. “My father led the Narasirato panpipers and traveled globally,” Chris explained. “I developed an interest in music at the age of five, but my father kept me focused on my education and did not involve me in music much during my early years.”

      Now, at 28, and representing Malaita Province, Chris has emerged triumphant from a pool of over 300 entries spanning 18 Pacific nations. His victory secures him a spot at WOMADelaide, Australia’s largest international festival of music, arts, and dance, scheduled for March 2025.

      Reflecting on the moment he learned of his win, Chris recalled, “They initially told me it was just an interview, but it turned into an hour-long announcement of the winner, which took me by surprise as I had not prepared for it.”

      The song that earned Chris this prestigious win is titled The Naratana Manu, which translates to ‘The birds crying.’ In the Are-Are language, Chris explains that Naratana Manu explores the challenges faced when forming connections with people who might not align with one’s true self or intentions. “It signifies the times we find ourselves with someone or pursuing paths that are not meant for us, ultimately leading us to realize that those things do not align with our true purpose. I want to dedicate this award to my late father; he is the one who truly deserves it, and it means everything to me,” Chris expressed.

      Growing up surrounded by his father and the members of his band, Chris naturally found himself drawn to music. “Being close to them during performances allowed my passion for music to flourish. I became more engaged in music two years ago when I faced financial difficulties in paying my fees. This journey led me to win this award,” he noted.

      Looking ahead to WOMADelaide, Chris shared his excitement and his plans to not only perform but also record his music. He expressed a deep sense of purpose, inspired by his father’s legacy and the musical path he has carved for himself.

      Social-cultural impacts from oil spills

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      BY LORETTA B MANELE

      Social-cultural impacts is one of the impacts from oil spills that doesn’t get much attention especially in economic figures, however it is still important as other impacts.

      Sheridan Rabbitt, of Rabbitt Consulting talked about this at the “Strengthening Marine Pollution Incident Resilience in the Pacific Islands” workshop at Heritage Park Hotel last week.

      She said “social-cultural impacts are one of those impacts from oil spills on the coastal communities that people don’t think very much about and it varies from country to country.

      Rabbitt explained that for instance if there were an oil spill in Brisbane it won’t have that much of a huge impact as compared to coastal communities here in the Solomon Islands.

      “Maybe we can’t go to the beach, but it’s a bit annoying, but we can drive somewhere else. It’s going to be quite different in the Pacific Islands context”

      She said in the case of an oil spill in the coastal communities, in the short-term people can’t fish because their coastline is unsafe and there are missed opportunities for social connection.

      Rabbitt explained that these missed opportunities for social connection can include a group of women who often go out on gleaning trips together or men who go fishing just to hang out with their friends and connect with people in the community.

      Relocation of people from one village to another is also another social-cultural impact of oil spills.

      Rabbitt said because of this there will also be missed opportunities for people to share their cultural knowledge because people have a deep attachment to their grandparents and parents and their cultural knowledge is passed down from one generation to the next.

      “If you remove people from that situation and you’re putting them into another village, that’s not there their land, some of that cultural knowledge is going to be impacted”

      Rabbitt mentioned that there will also be a lot of land tenure challenges when people are being moved from one village or community to another.

      Murder case returns to court for accused to take plea

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      BY ROMINAH FAKA

      A man accused of raping a 31-year-old woman which led to her death in Ngella in August this year is expected to take his plea on October 25.

      The case was mentioned in court and then adjourned.

      Joe Koti is facing one count of murder.

      Prosecutor told court it had received outstanding documents which include five statements from the witnesses and has served them to defence.

      Prosecutor adds that only the autopsy report remains to be collected.

      Defence confirmed receipt and indicated that it has chosen a short form preliminary inquiry for the committal hearing.

      Police alleged on August 25 at New Vunuha village, Ngella, Central province, the deceased was at her home with her family.

      On that day, the deceased’s family was having a family gathering.

      Around 6pm, the family had their dinner, which was followed by discussion and storytelling session. The meeting ended around midnight.

      After the meeting, all the people that gathered for the family meeting left while the deceased and two women remained at the deceased’s house for clean-up.

      Between 12am and 1am the deceased and the two women were still cleaning when a person called in at the house. It was alleged that this person had just come back from fishing. He gave some fish to the women.

      The deceased told one of the women to cook the fish while she went to a Frank and Mary’s house about 50 metres away from her house.

      She was returning a pot they had borrowed for the family gathering earlier that night.

      Police alleged that these two women waited for more than an hour for the deceased to return but she did not return.

      The deceased suddenly returned after an hour passed and told one of the two women that her body was not okay.

      The woman saw that the deceased was bleeding heavily.

      The deceased told the woman that on her way to Frank and Mary’s house, the accused grabbed both of her hands and shut her mouth and dragged her into the grass and raped her with great force.

      The deceased said she had told the accused that she was bleeding profusely and he got up and took off.

      Prosecution said the deceased struggled and managed to get herself up and tried her best to walk back to her house.

      As she reached her house the two women tried their best to stop the bleeding but were unsuccessful.

      They took the victim to Tulagi that morning, August 26, where she was referred to the NRH in Honiara.

      When they reached the NRH the victim was pronounced dead.

      John Wesley Zoze appears for the crown and PSO appears for Koti.

      Fraud case returns to court Oct 15 for sentencing

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      BY ROMINAH FAKA

      The case against a woman found guilty of false pretence has adjourned for October 15 for sentencing.

      The matter was heard in court on Thursday last week, in which sentencing was initially scheduled to happen.

      However, defence raised a concern regarding the delay in the case, prompting court to instruct prosecution to file an explanation for the delay.

      Pauline Peqoa Sipi was charged with false pretence. She pleaded not guilty to the charge and a trial was conducted at the magistrate court.

      After the trial court found Sipi guilty of false pretence.

      Court heard Ms Sipi at Henderson area, Guadalcanal Province on July 3, 2019, obtained $5000 from the victim for the install payment of a vehicle she was reportedly selling.

      She had said she won the vehicle from a police tender.

      Again, on August 2, 2019 Sipi obtained $20,000 from the victim purportedly for the second installment payment of the vehicle.

      The matter was reported to police when the victim did not receive the vehicle.

      Steward Tonowane of Office of Public Prosecution acts for Crown and Allan Tinoni of Public Solicitor Office acts for Sipi.

      MHMS urges prioritisation of employee mental health

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      Participants putting on a dance.

      BY INDY MAEALASIA

      THE Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), has emphasized the need to prioritize employees’ mental health in the workplace, highlighting that a healthy work environment is essential for overall well-being and productivity.

      Director of the Mental Health Division, Stephen Araitewa, emphasized this message during the World Mental Health Day event at the HCC outdoor court, yesterday.

      Araitewa stressed that, “In the workplace, the impact of mental health cannot be overstated.  Stressed burnout and mental fatigue can lead to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and low morale.”

      However, the director emphasized that by prioritizing mental health, employers can cultivate a culture that enhances employee well-being and boosts organizational success.

      “A positive and supportive workplace environment can also support recovery for patients with mental health conditions. Research shows that workplaces that support mental health see higher levels of engagement and innovations,” Araitewa added.

      The director further suggested several actions employers can take to foster mental well-being:

      “First and foremost, we must create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health. Training for managers and recognizing signs of mental health struggles and how to provide support is also critical. This refers to implementing supportive policies that support mental health in the workplace,” he said.

      He also underscored the urgent need to raise awareness about the mental health resources available in the Solomon Islands.

      “By promoting these resources, we can encourage individuals to seek help without fear or stigma,” he added.

      Additionally, the director also emphasized the need to improve the level of mental health literacy, in organizations and companies.

      “Let’s also recognize the power of community in the workplace. Open dialogues about mental health dismantle stigma and foster an atmosphere of support,” Araitewa said.

      “Together, we can build environments that support mental well-being and empower everyone to flourish both personally and professionally,” he added.

      Other stakeholders including WHO, UNICEF, HCC, Pasifiki HR, and the Disabled People’s Association of Solomon Islands (DPASI) were also part of the event.

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