Honiara to vote on army help

By HELEN TUNNAH deputy political editor

New Zealand police backed by armed troops could be working to restore law and order in the Solomon Islands by the end of the month, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said yesterday.

Politicians in Honiara will today debate whether to accept an Australian-led intervention force at a special sitting of the Solomon Islands Parliament, with a final decision expected within days.

The final size of any New Zealand contribution to an intervention force has yet to be decided, but Mr Goff said yesterday that an initial deployment was possible by the end of this month.

Australia has proposed up to 2000 military personnel and several hundred police from around the Pacific should be sent to the strife-torn Solomon Islands, including up to 200 New Zealand soldiers and 40 police.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza last month asked Australia for help to disarm rogue criminal groups plaguing the country, which is now lawless, virtually bankrupt and has little functioning government.

New Zealand and Australia have said armed intervention was needed for regional stability, but any deployment needed the support of both Solomon Islanders and its elected Government.

Yesterday in Honiara, Sir Allan tabled plans for the intervention, and MPs will debate them today.

New laws also need to be passed to give foreign police clear powers to operate in the Solomons' jurisdiction.

Pacific Island Forum Foreign Ministers last week unanimously supported sending a force to the Solomon Islands, although any final decision would need to be approved by the leaders of all the 16 forum member nations.

Mr Goff said that could come at next month's forum meeting in Auckland or earlier if necessary.

He told the Herald the cabinet had approved a deployment to the Solomon Islands, but final figures on police and troop numbers as well as foreign aid were to be determined.

Australia's perceived more gung-ho approach to a regional intervention has caused some concerns within the cabinet here.

New Zealand ministers were anxious to ensure any actions were not seen by other Pacific nations as "neo-colonial" interference.

Mr Goff is also understood to have frustrated senior ministers and Helen Clark after joining Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in announcing details about the size of the deployment before the Pacific Foreign Ministers met.

Papua New Guinea this week warned Australia that any heavy-handed approach would alienate Pacific neighbours, jeopardising support for any intervention.

"What's quite important is the style in which we go about it," Mr Goff said yesterday.

"We want to exercise care that the deployment that is made, which has the support of ordinary Solomon Islands people, maintains that support by being sensitive to the needs of the local people."

Any intervention had to be seen as a "positive response to a plea for help" and not an invasion or occupying force.

"Australia absolutely understands that.

"The whole region appreciates that a failed state in the Solomon Islands, which might break down to chaos and blood-letting, would affect the stability and security of the region."