Subject: 'austraLasia' # 381

Note: this item received a short while ago is by a Marist priest who has spent many years in The Solomon Islands. It is graphic and unedited reporting of the human story as it happens. Our own Salesians are a little way away from this, but as one can see the situation in and around Honiara is precarious at the moment.

SOLOMONS: THE HUMAN STORY AS IT HAPPENS

Norman Arkwright sm

HONIARA: 15th July (RPN) -- The Eagles swept through and round my house and down to Kakabona as the Mass bell was ringing this morning. Much shouting and anger and heavy gunfiring. There is one wounded man lying in the church now tended by a couple of sisters and Fr. Joe Kluwen. The clearance started just three hours ago and vehicles are passing up and down the road in front of my house - some carrying away canoes and looting from the houses down towards Kakabone, some bringing up more soldier figures and guns and equipment. No sign of bulldozers - no need for them. There must be five hundred and more heavily armed men. No damage to mission buildings but many houses are burning in Kakabona. I went up into the middle of the village with three DMI sisters about an hour and half ago, looking for injured. Anointed two militants recently killed, in the presence of small groups of (some) jeering Malaitans.. I reached the front line where the Eagles very abusingly turned me back from the militant checkpoint in Kolutoha. Some wild accusations of the catholic church harbouring militants - some fellows softening. We returned to the church - seeing Malaitans abusing the bodies and and now, there are relaible reports of six bodies.

Sporadic shooting now indicates they are clearing whatever has been missed. Not sure what will happen here but Andrew Nori turned up and asked anxiously if the mission staff were safe. I told him we had already rung Red Cross and they should be on their way. He was in his own truck with one individual with a rifle. He said he would go off and check to see if it was alright to bring in the Red Cross. Have just rung Red Cross again and they are still looking for Nori's permission. How crazy it is??.. There are four DMI sisters here and two Melanesian Marists and four expats. Br. Matthew has just gone off tto take Fr. Paul to the airport. We'll see. At present they seem to be roving through the Centre behind me and shooting. Enough for now.