DEAR EDITOR, the Governments of Solomon Islands and New Zealand re-affirmed close bilateral cooperation when the Foreign Ministers of the two countries met in New Zealand last week.

Solomon Islands Foreign Minister, Milner Tozaka, and his New Zealand counterpart, Murray McCully, met in Auckland at the end of a weeklong Ministerial visit to New Zealand by Hon Tozaka.

The two leaders discussed a range of issues including further cooperation in the areas of Labour Mobility, Aviation, Tourism, Post RAMSI Policing and New Zealand’s Partnership Programme to assist Youths in Solomon Islands.

Minister McCully particularly highlighted New Zealand’s commitment to support the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSPIF) with community policing and crime prevention when RAMSI leaves in June.

A main target area, also discussed, was New Zealand’s plan to support Youths in Sports as part of the post-RAMSI community policing arrangement between the two countries.

New Zealand sees community policing and youth engagement as important for Solomon Islands and is working closely with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to provide support in this area.

As much as I very much welcome the promised support of New Zealand to the Solomons, post RAMSI, I can’t help but see the irony in the projected engagements since, in early 1998, I asked for exactly the same arrangements when, as the incumbent Commissioner of Police, I met with New Zealand Government officials and the New Zealand Commissioner of Police while taking part in mutual aid talks in Wellington.

My requests came to nothing, except some assistance was rendered, at my request, by New Zealand Military Police seconded to help the members of the RSIPF with practical guidance on report writing, statement recording, map reading, investigation skills and communication techniques.

My talks had also focused on outward bound help in an effort to motivate the youth then largely unemployed in Honiara and needing activities to give them some self-esteem and a sense of purpose.

A double irony occurred during a security gathering in Nadi, Fiji, subsequent to the talks I had in Wellington, when a senior New Zealand official, to my recollection a former New Zealand Ambassador, asked for my advice as to what New Zealand could do to help restore normality amongst the troubled people on the island of Bougainville.

My answer, “Introduce community policing.” “I think you are right”, the official replied.   A policy subsequently implemented with considerable success by the New Zealand Police.

Now some 19 years on in the context of the Solomon Islands and all that ensued in late 1999 after my leaving, I often ask myself, “What if?”

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT