Solomons mission found wanting

Phil Goff with Patrick Leong, whose casino hotel and restaurant complex was left a burned-out shell by the protesters. Picture / Greg Bowker

Standing in front of the charred remains of his destroyed restaurant, Patrick Leong told Defence Minister Phil Goff he did not think he would risk rebuilding because he feared more violence.

Until last week, the Chinese businessman said he had been confident the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (Ramsi) would protect him and his business, the Casino Hotel and Fortune Restaurant.

Last Tuesday night he lost everything in the Honiara riots.

The restaurant, casino and hotel - which he spent 10 years developing and investing in heavily - were ruined.

His insurance company will not pay out because the fire was caused by arson.

Mr Leong told the Herald he was disappointed in the protection Ramsi provided on the night of the riots, saying he thought more could have been done.

He would like to rebuild the business, a major employer of Honiara locals, but was concerned the violence would be repeated and again destroy his livelihood.

Mr Goff, on a 24-hour visit to Honiara - his sixth - told Mr Leong that Ramsi would do everything it could to find the people responsible for the arson and to establish why his business had been targeted.

He described last week's riots as a blip along the way to Ramsi achieving its objectives of restoring security and stability to the Solomons.

Mr Goff said the New Zealand Government wanted to assure Solomon Islanders that it was committed to Ramsi, and New Zealand Defence Force and Police staff would remain there for as long as necessary.

"This mission will succeed and we will go on doing just what we have been doing in the past and ensure it means a better future for the people and the nation."

Mr Goff said Ramsi would be examining the events of last week to see if anything could have been done to have prevented it.

And he said he would be asking questions about the firing of tear gas into the crowd, which is alleged to have incited the violence.

"The information I have is that there was no intelligence that this was about to happen; that while the violence may have been organised, it was not clearly signalled in advance."

The additional 108 police and Defence Force staff sent to Honiara last week to help restore order would be kept in place for several weeks, he said.

Shortly after arriving on a Defence Force Hercules, Mr Goff laid an Anzac poppy on the memorial plaque for his uncle, John Goff.

The 19-year-old was killed in 1943 when his RAF plane disappeared after leaving Honiara. Mr Goff visits the memorial each time he goes to the Solomons.