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The Pacific civil society organisations (CSOs) and solidarity movements

The Pacific civil society organisations (CSOs) and solidarity movements are reminding Pacific leaders of their longstanding responsibility to West Papua, and to urgently address the ongoing gross human rights abuses.

Yesterday, the 1st of December 2024, marked 63 years since the Morning Star flag was first raised in West Papua to signify the territory’s sovereignty. Yet Indonesia’s annexation of the territory, military occupation, and violent oppression, gross human rights violations on West Papuans continue to be ignored internationally and unfortunately by most Pacific leaders.

We remind our Pacific leaders of their responsibility to sixty-three years of injustice by Indonesia, and the resilience of the West Papuan people against this oppression to this day. 📢

In solidarity with the people of West Papua, we demand that our Leaders:
1. Honor the resolutions of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and Pacific Islands Forum, which call for a peaceful resolution to the West Papua conflict and the recognition of the rights
of West Papuans;

2. Take immediate and concrete action to review, and if necessary, sanction Indonesia’s status as a dialogue partner in the PIF, associate member of the MSG, and as a party to other privileged bilateral and multilateral arrangements in our Pacific region on the basis of its human rights record in West Papua;

3. Stand firm against Indonesia’s colonial intrusion into the Pacific through its cheque-book and other diplomatic overtures, ensuring that the sovereignty and rights of the people of West Papua are not sacrificed for political or economic gain; and

4. Pacific Islands Forum must take immediate action to establish a Regional Human Rights Commission or task force, support independent investigations into human rights violations in West Papua, and ensure accountability for all abuses.

#WestPapua #WestPapuaLivesMatter #EndColonialism #IndonesiaOutOfThePacific 

Pacific Network on Globalisation Fiji Women's Crisis Centre Indonesian Embassy Suva - Fiji

A landmark climate change case will open at the top UN court as island nations fear rising seas


ABC News

The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history on Monday

ByMOLLY QUELL Associated Press
December 1, 2024, 2:09 PM

National headlines from ABC NewsCatch up on the developing stories making headlines.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history on Monday, when it opens two weeks of hearings into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact.

After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, the U.N. General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice last year for an opinion on “the obligations of States in respect of climate change.”

“We want the court to confirm that the conduct that has wrecked the climate is unlawful,” Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, who is leading the legal team for the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, told The Associated Press.

In the decade up to 2023, sea levels have risen by a global average of around 4.3 centimeters (1.7 inches), with parts of the Pacific rising higher still. The world has also warmed 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times because of the burning of fossil fuels.

Vanuatu is one of a group of small states pushing for international legal intervention in the climate crisis.

“We live on the front lines of climate change impact. We are witnesses to the destruction of our lands, our livelihoods, our culture and our human rights,” Vanuatu’s climate change envoy Ralph Regenvanu told reporters ahead of the hearing.

Any decision by the court would be non-binding advice and unable to directly force wealthy nations into action to help struggling countries. Yet it would be more than just a powerful symbol since it could serve as the basis for other legal actions, including domestic lawsuits.

On Sunday, ahead of the hearing, advocacy groups will bring together environmental organizations from around the world. Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change — who first developed the idea of requesting an advisory opinion — together with World Youth for Climate Justice plan an afternoon of speeches, music and discussions.

From Monday, the Hague-based court will hear from 99 countries and more than a dozen intergovernmental organizations over two weeks. It’s the largest lineup in the institution’s nearly 80-year history.

Last month at the United Nations’ annual climate meeting, countries cobbled together an agreement on how rich countries can support poor countries in the face of climate disasters. Wealthy countries have agreed to pool together at least $300 billion a year by 2035 but the total is short of the $1.3 trillion that experts, and threatened nations, said is needed.

“For our generation and for the Pacific Islands, the climate crisis is an existential threat. It is a matter of survival, and the world’s biggest economies are not taking this crisis seriously. We need the ICJ to protect the rights of people at the front lines,” Vishal Prasad, of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, told reporters in a briefing.

Fifteen judges from around the world will seek to answer two questions: What are countries obliged to do under international law to protect the climate and environment from human-caused greenhouse gas emissions? And what are the legal consequences for governments where their acts, or lack of action, have significantly harmed the climate and environment?

The second question makes particular reference to “small island developing States” likely to be hardest hit by climate change and to “members of “the present and future generations affected by the adverse effects of climate change.”

The judges were even briefed on the science behind rising global temperatures by the U.N.’s climate change body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ahead of the hearings.

The case at the ICJ follows a number of rulings around the world ordering governments to do more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In May, a U.N. tribunal on maritime law said that carbon emissions qualify as marine pollution and countries must take steps to adapt to and mitigate their adverse effects.

That ruling came a month after Europe’s highest human rights court said that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change, in a landmark judgment that could have implications across the continent.

The ICJ’s host country of The Netherlands made history when a court ruled in 2015 that protection from the potentially devastating effects of climate change is a human right and that the government has a duty to protect its citizens. The judgment was upheld in 2019 by the Dutch Supreme Court.

Their DNA survives in diverse populations across the world – but who were the Denisovans

It started with a finger bone found in a cave in the Altai mountains in Siberia in the late 2000s. Thanks to advances in DNA analysis, this was all that was required for scientists to be able to identify an entirely new group of hominins, meaning upright primates on the same evolutionary branch as humans.

Now known as the Denisovans (De-NEES-ovans), after the Denisova cave in which the finger bone was found, the past few years have seen numerous other discoveries about these people. I’ve recently co-published a paper collating everything we know so far.

So who were the Denisovans, where did they live, and why are they important to the story of humanity?

Around 600,000 years ago, early humans in Africa diverged into groups. Some migrated out of Africa, becoming Neanderthals in eastern and western Eurasia and Denisovans in eastern Eurasia.

Modern humans later evolved in Africa, spread across the globe, and encountered Neanderthals, Denisovans and possibly other unknown archaic human groups. Yet by 40,000 years ago, only modern humans remained on the archaeological record.

The genetic legacy
Unlike Neanderthals, whose fossils are relatively abundant, Denisovan remains continue to be very scarce. Apart from that Siberian finger bone, the main other discovery was a jawbone found in China, in a limestone cave located on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. It had been believed that the Denisovans had been confined to Siberia, but this jawbone demonstrated that they had lived much further afield.

Their DNA has enabled scientists to build on this insight, since it survives in contemporary populations, particularly in Oceania, parts of Asia, and even Indigenous American populations. This shows that the Denisovans were widely distributed across these areas.

Strikingly, recent studies reveal that Denisovans interbred with modern humans multiple times. For instance, east Asians harbour ancestry from at least two distinct Denisovan populations. Also, the people of Papua New Guinea, which retain up to 5% Denisovan ancestry, a much higher proportion than other groups, interbred with at least two Denisovan groups at different times.

Additionally, research has shown that some populations from the Philippines carry a distinct Denisovan ancestry compared to their neighbouring groups. These various genetic differences highlight that the interbreeding between modern humans and Denisovans has a complex history.

Adaptations
While much about the Denisovans’ lifestyle, appearance and culture remains unknown, the discovery of the Tibetan jawbone showed that these people lived in diverse environments, and that they must have been very adaptable. Sure enough, we now know that Denisovan ancestry in modern humans has contributed to adaptive traits, particularly in challenging environments.

A notable example is the EPAS1 gene. Inherited from Denisovans, it helps regulate the body’s response to low oxygen levels, giving Tibetans a physiological advantage in the high altitudes of the Tibetan plateau.

Other human adaptations possibly derived from Denisovan interbreeding relate to being able to tolerate cold weather, and being able to metabolise lipids, which include fats and oils. These may have been beneficial for populations in northern regions, such as the Arctic. For example, Inuit populations carry Denisovan genes that help to regulate body fat and maintain warmth.

Some genes that aid in fighting infections also appear to have Denisovan origins. These immune-related genes might have played crucial roles in protecting ancient and modern humans from south and east Asia, the Americas and Papua New Guinea against specific pathogens, illustrating how Denisovan heritage continues to affect human health today.

Unanswered questions
Many questions about the Denisovans remain unanswered. For instance, how genetically distinct were these populations, and how many distinct groups existed? We know that at least four distinct Denisovan populations interbred with modern humans. However, with further analyses, this number might increase, revealing an even more complex story.

We’re also looking for a better understanding of the biological impact of Denisovan DNA in modern humans. While many beneficial traits have been identified as derived from Neanderthals, only a few have been found for Denisovans so far. Many other potential contributions remain to be explored.

This will be possible only if additional Denisovan remains are discovered and DNA is extracted and sequenced. We need more data, especially from diverse geographical regions and time periods, to provide new insights into these people’s adaptations, interactions with other hominins, and lasting legacy in human evolution.

To address these questions, our research capabilities will need to improve. For example, we need new tools to more accurately distinguish Denisovan genetic material from Neanderthal and modern human DNA.

Additionally, studying Denisovan ancestry in populations beyond east Asia and Oceania, such as Indigenous Americans, could shed light on exactly which Denisovan sources have contributed to modern humans genomes.

The discoveries to date highlight the power of genetic studies in uncovering hidden chapters of our past. Each discovery brings us closer to understanding who the Denisovans were and how their lives and adaptations continue to affect humans today

Historic win: UN human rights committee report raises France’s human rights violations in Kanaky


Pacific solidarity has driven historic UN recognition of France’s human rights violations in the struggle for self-determination and decolonisation in New Caledonia, a leading human rights activist says.Viro Xulue, a human rights and Indigenous law officer for Drehu customary council of New Caledonia attended the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Committee in October, which examined reports of violations of human rights by France, including the self-determination of Māohi Nui and Kanaky.The committee’s subsequent report was concerned about the lack of progress made on the self-determination of the people of French Polynesia and made some recommendations.

Xule said the HRC confirmed all the concerns raised and he was grateful that José Manuel Santos Pais, the vice-chair was impartial and neutral in discussion.He said it was amazing to be acknowledged as an indigenous people for the first time.“The French don’t recognise the indigenous people, they talk about the ethnic minority. They don’t want to recognise us as indigenous.”

‘Big and historic’

“It’s really big and historic for us. It’s a big surprise and we’re really proud,” Xule said.“It was really amazing because it was the first time for Kanak indigenous people to be there for the Human Rights Committee.”The appearance before the Human Rights Committee came months after riots in New Caledonia as Framce tried to alter the Noumea Accords to allow more French residents to vote on an independence referendum. In October France announced that the electoral reform proposal would not go ahead.After a successful report to the Human Rights Committee Xulue said the next step was the UN General Assembly at which he will help Fiji and PNG include the Human Rights Committee recommendations in a resolution, as Fiji and Papua New Guinea had proposed a resolution to the UN Decolonisation Committee in June regarding a mission to Kanaky on the question of New Caledonia.Asked if that Fiji and Papua New Guinea support showed Pacific solidarity, he agreed.“Yeah, we have big Pacific solidarity but, specifically, it started with all the Indigenous people in the Pacific. All of us, we really stand together, we help each other.”

Thanked te iwi Māori

He also thanked the Pacific Conference of Churches as it had helped fund travel to New York and Geneva. And he also thanked te iwi Māori.“Māori people have sent their warriors to help me, that’s why I’m really thankful. In our legend, the water is coming from Aotearoa. It’s your role to help Kanak people, it’s the role of Māori people because it’s our legend coming from our ancestors.“When we want to have water, we ask the god who lives on Aotearoa, the long white cloud, to bring water to our people. And if we want to connect with our ancestors and gods, we asked the Aboriginal people with the big snake, the rainbow serpent, to help us connect with our god.“It’s really powerful and it was the rule for Māori people to help Kanak people and we need to connect again, our spirit.”

Committee told France to respect constitutional irreversibility

The Human Rights Committee report raised several areas of concern.The third referendum on independence during Covid-19 while Kanaks were in customary Indigenous mourning was shown through high abstention - 56.13 per cent did not vote.The Human Rights Committee said France did not respect the right of indigenous Kanak to be consulted to obtain their free, prior and informed consent.It recommended France respect the principle of constitutional irreversibility set out in article 5 of the Noumea Accord, which guarantees the integrity of the decolonisation process.It also raised the issue of prison conditions, the over-representation of Kanaks incarcerated, and the need to take alternative measures for Indigenous convicts to serve sentences i communities rather than overcrowded prisons.France is required to submit its response by November 2027 to the committee’s 14 recommendations on the excessive use of force by law enforcement officers, freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.Eleven Kanaks were killed in the uprising earlier this year and two French gendarmes.

Freedom of expression concerns

There were some concerns over freedom of expression with journalists being subject to arbitrary arrests and excessive use of force when covering demonstrations. The report said the state must ensure journalists could cover protests without undue restriction or risk to personal safety.The committee was concerned by what it said was a significant increase in the number of defamation proceedings aimed at intimidating, silencing and financially exhausting journalists, human rights defenders and trade unionists.It said since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel last October 7 several political, trade union and community leaders had been prosecuted for “condoning terrorism” when they pointed out the context in which the acts were committed.Finally, the committee was also concerned about the temporary closure of a major social media platform in response to unrest in New Caledonia in May.On the right to peaceful assembly the committee discussed peaceful demonstrators being arbitrarily arrested, and their demonstrations banned by authorities on basis of an alleged threat to public order. This included demonstrations supporting Palestinians.

Where to next?

Xulue said it was a historical step for Kanaky as the Human Rights Committee’s recommendations enabled a request for a UN special rapporteur (human rights expert) investigation in New Caledonia, which could be used for support at the UN Decolonisation Committee.The next step was to implement the recommendations proposed for indigenous groups, integrating them into their institutions, particularly within customary councils but he said the French government must do the same.Last week the president of the French parliament, the National Assembly, and the president of the French Senate were in Kanaky. Xulue said he didn’t know the aim of the mission but was worried they were preparing the next step in an attempt to bury the Noumea Accord.“The indigenous people, we don’t want to bury the Noumea accord because the Noumea Accord is the process of the decolonisation, for the sovereignty of Kanaky.”Indigenous representatives will participate in the 2025 Indigenous Forum and Decolonisation Committee, and the UN Committee Against Torture in May 2025, addressing what he called the first and second civil wars in New Caledonia (which were in the 1980s and earlier this year). The French refer to them as “the events” and civil unrest.Xulue emphasised, “The struggle is not finished.”The Human Rights Committee said the next constructive dialogue with France was planned for 2032 in Geneva.

White evangelical voters show steadfast support for Donald Trump’s presidency

By — Peter Smith, Associated Press

Politics Nov 7, 2024 2:57 PM EST

After former President Donald Trump gave his victory speech early Wednesday, at the Palm Beach Convention Center, dozens of his supporters gathered in a lobby to sing "How Great Thou Art," reciting from memory the words and harmonies of a classic hymn, popular among evangelical Christians.

It was a fitting coda to an election in which Trump once again won the support of about 8 in 10 white evangelical Christian voters, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters. That margin — among a group that represented about 20% of the total electorate — repeats similarly staggering margins of evangelical support that T rump received in 2020.

Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas, one of Trump's most prominent evangelical supporters since the 2016 campaign, called the election a "great victory."

"Yes, there were some faith issues important to evangelicals, but evangelicals are Americans, too," Jeffress said. "They care about immigration, they care about the economy."


Jeffress dismissed concerns of those who predict a Christian nationalist administration.


"People who are not Christians are unduly worried he's going to institute some kind of oppressive theocracy. He has no interest in doing that," Jeffress said, noting that Trump has shown no interest in banning same-sex marriage or imposing an absolute abortion ban.

Trump's strongest supporters among evangelical leaders can likely expect the kind of White House access they had in the first Trump term.

Trump has proclaimed a sense of divine mandate.

"Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason," Trump said in his victory speech, referring to the widespread proclamations among evangelical supporters that he received miraculous divine protection in the near-fatal assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. "And that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness."

Some Trump critics fear he will implement a Christian nationalist agenda they see as giving Christians a privileged position in the country and flouting the separation of church and state. Others wonder how such an agenda would look in practice.

On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to "protect Christians in our schools and in our military and our government" and in "our public square." Many church-state battles in recent years have focused on Christian symbols in public settings, such as displays of crosses.

The Republican platform pledged to defend Christians as well as Jews facing persecution. While it included a general pledge to protect the worship of all faith groups, those were the only two singled out by name. The platform also championed the right to "pray and read the Bible in school."

Trump is pledging to support other evangelical priorities, such as support for Israel and a pushback on transgender rights, saying, "God created two genders, male and female." Evangelicals have been dismayed that Trump has distanced himself from the strictest antiabortion proposals, though evangelical leaders saw Trump as preferable to Harris' strong advocacy for abortion rights.

Trump is pledging to support other evangelical priorities, such as support for Israel and a pushback on transgender rights, saying, "God created two genders, male and female." Evangelicals have been dismayed that Trump has distanced himself from the strictest antiabortion proposals, though evangelical leaders saw Trump as preferable to Harris' strong advocacy for abortion rights.

Pro-Trump rallies featured expressions that have been embraced by Christian nationalists, such as the song "God Bless the U.S.A." Many at Trump rallies wear shirts proclaiming, "Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president."

Evangelicals' support of Trump initially took many by surprise, given his casino ventures, multiple marriages, accusations of sexual misconduct and, more recently, his central role in fomenting the 2021 Capitol riot and his conviction on fraud charges. But many supporters dispute these accusations or see him as an imperfect but powerful champion.

"People support President Trump not for his piety but for his policies," Jeffress said.

John Fea, a history professor at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, who wrote a book on the evangelical backing for Trump in his 2016 campaign, said the persistence of that support was not surprising.

In this campaign, Fea said he spoke with evangelicals who were uncomfortable with Trump. They were "looking for any reason to vote for Harris," such as some moderation on abortion. "I don't think Harris was giving them much."

It wasn't just white, non-Hispanic evangelicals supporting Trump. So did about just over half of Latino evangelicals and about 6 in 10 white Catholics, according to AP VoteCast. Overall, about 6 in 10 Mormons also backed the former president.

Pastor Abraham Rivera of La Puerta Life Center in North Miami, Florida, attributed Trump's popularity among all Latinos, and evangelicals in particular, to their conservative values regarding morality and family.

"The gender identity issue that the left pushes a lot, I think it puts off a lot of Latino evangelicals," Rivera said. Members of his congregation voiced some concerns about Trump's "personality or things he says," but not his policies, Rivera said.

He expects the frequent contacts that Latino evangelical leaders had with Trump's first administration to continue, giving them a voice. In contrast, he felt doors "were shut closed" in the Biden White House, which seemed to disregard the values of many conservatives.

But Rivera added: "The idea that some evil Christian right is going to take over everything is just crazy."

Fea said a Christian nationalist agenda may be more rhetorical than substantive on the national level — whereas he said there are genuine cases of it on the local level. He anticipated that the Trump administration would not push back against such things as a new Louisiana law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools and an Oklahoma education official's order for public schools to incorporate the Bible into lessons. Both face court challenges.

Even if the administration's expressions of religion are in rhetoric rather than policy, that can have an impact in a country that is more secular and religiously diverse than in past generations, said Andrew Whitehead, author of "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States."

"For those who do not embrace that expression of Christianity or the Christian religion or no religion at all, they will feel marked as 'other' and not truly American," said Whitehead, associate professor of sociology at Indiana University Indianapolis.

Whitehead anticipated that a Christian nationalist view will likely motivate restrictive immigration policies on the grounds of protecting traditional American culture, such as the first Trump administration's ban on travel from several Muslim-majority countries.

READ MORE: Putin congratulates Donald Trump on his election victory in first public comments on US vote

The 2024 Republican platform pledged to use "existing federal law to keep foreign Christian-hating Communists, Marxists, and Socialists," as well as "jihadists" out of America. On the campaign trail, Trump said he would form a federal task force to fight the "persecution against Christians in America."

Other groups, nationally and within local churches, are poised to push back on a Christian nationalist agenda.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State pledged to resist any Trump administration policies that privilege Christians and use claims of religious freedom as a "license to discriminate," said Andrew Seidel, the group's vice president of strategic communications.

He anticipates the incoming Trump administration has a plan to implement the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, which he said has a Christian nationalist blueprint, despite Trump distancing himself from it.

"This time, they are ready for a win," Seidel said. "Last time they were the dog that caught the car. They didn't know what they were doing. They're going to be ready to go on day one."

The Rev. Tim Schaefer, pastor of First Baptist Church of Madison, Wisconsin, said he opposes Christian nationalism in part because it defies the separation of church and state – an important belief in his Baptist tradition.

"Our job then is to remind folks that we were not established as a Christian nation," he said. "There was a desire on behalf of the founders to be a religiously pluralistic nation."

NEW SOLAR ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARRIVING IN PORT MORESBY, PNG - DECEMBER 2024!

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Thanks to recent technological advancements, various light sources, including sunlight and fluorescent lights, can be utilized to charge your solar vehicle's battery while on the move, in parking lots, or at home. Adverse weather conditions, such as cloudy or rainy days, will not hinder this charging process. Additionally, as a contingency, the solar EV is equipped with an electricity charging port that allows for recharging at home for a few hours if necessary.

If your solar EV is regularly used without recharge, it can travel up to 300 kilometers before the battery depletes and require recharging. For typical usage within Port Moresby, such as commuting to home, work, school, and shopping, you can expect to recharge after every 2-3 months! 

Moreover, the solar EV is designed without an engine, gearbox, or radiator compartments like fossil fuel vehicles, resulting in significantly reduced maintenance costs.

In comparison, similar brand-new petrol engine vehicles are available at K67,000.00 @ major new vehicle dealers. However, our drive-away price in Port Moresby, which includes shipping from China, customs, registration, and other fees, is considerably lower.

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Logging in Solomon Islands sees women 'sold' into relationships with foreign workers

By Solomon Islands reporter Chrisnrita Aumanu-Leong in Makira, with Gabriella Marchant and Nick Sas Topic:Forestry, Logging and Timber Industry


Flying across the hundreds of islands that make up Solomon Islands, it's almost impossible not to see them.  

Patches of muddy and desolate ground in an otherwise lush and pristine green forest.

They are logging zones, and in Solomon Islands they are everywhere.

For the developing country, it is a catch 22: Logging is its lifeblood; the country's biggest export and a source of income for thousands.

But it is destroying the unique forest environment, with recent reports suggesting if logging continues in Solomon Islands at the same rates as late last decade all forest will be "gone" from Solomon Islands by mid-2030.      

As well as the obvious environmental impact, on the ground in logging camps across the country major social impacts are playing out.

And it comes in the form of relationships at the logging camps, or what are known locally as "log marriages". 

"There's a saying we joke about out here," Angelline Maekasia, a long-time worker at one of the camps, told the ABC   

"We say 'log marriages are like instant coffee and noodles', which literally means the girls are so young [when they get married] they still can't cook a meal." 

'Sale' of girls in logging camps

Ms Maekasia works at a camp in Makira province, an island in the south-east of Solomon Islands. 

The logging staff she services are a mix of locals and international workers, who are brought in by foreign-owned logging companies. She said local women were often coerced into relationships or marrying foreign loggers "only for the money". 

She said when the foreign workers left to return to their home countries the problems started. 

"Women, some as young as [13], are left behind in the villages with the children," she said. 

The topic is a sensitive one in Solomon Islands, where marriage is a sacred custom and connection to "bride price" — a practice where families offer compensation often in the form of land, pigs or shell money for the marriage.

During the ABC's visit to the logging camp in Makira, the topic of forced or arranged relationships was not spoken about freely in the community for fear of retribution.  

However a 2023 UN report, found the "sale" of girls to foreign workers in Solomon Islands logging sector for the purpose of sex and marriage was often arranged by parents, other family members and young male peers.

The report said the social acceptance of "bride price" was being distorted to facilitate what it called "commercial child sexual exploitation and human trafficking".

The report also said the relationships were linked to high rates of domestic violence and women were also disempowered financially through their reliance on their partner, with little chance of employment in the male-dominated logging industry. 

For Jenny Nasihaa, her relationship to Johnny Kaya, a worker originally from Malaysia, has been both joyous and incredibly hard. 

The two celebrated the birth of their first child, Priscilla, and then Johnny returned home — what she described as "his holiday".   

"She was six months old when Johnny left," she said. 

"When he left he was away for a very long time, I thought he wouldn't return. 

"So when arrived in Honiara and phoned me, I was so happy because he'd returned for us." 

Priscilla is now two-years-old. 

Ms Nasihaa said despite the prospects of her partner being away for long stretches, she said the marriage was what was "best for her". 

And Johnny told the ABC he planned to bring back his partner and baby to his home when his work stint ended.   

When contacted, the Solomon Islands Forestry Department did not point the ABC to any initiatives it had for protecting women associated with the industry. 


Environment vs development

Arguments over the benefits and negative impacts of large-scale commercial logging have been a topic of heated discussion in Solomon Islands since companies began widespread commercial operations in the 1980s.     

For Paul Waisi, a church leader of a logging community of Arohane in Makira, the industry has brought many benefits. 

"One positive is we've been able to build our own church," he said. 

"Other families have been able to build their own houses. Logging companies have also helped us get access to running water."

But with the benefits he said there have been a multitude of issues he's had to deal with as a result of the industry dominating its community. 

"It causes lots of disputes in the community, even between brothers in the same clan, there’s arguments about logs and land," he said. 

"And now lots of young boys don’t attend church or church activities in the community. So logging brings social changes."

For community leader Salome Tauni, the logging company working in the Arohane community has been associated with broken promises.

"They said they would help with the school, help the church, housing but all that, you can see, nothing’s happened.

"The logging company said they would build a community hall. They started with iron posts, then stopped building."

But she said she was more worried about the long-term environmental impacts. 

Logging has long-been associated with an increase in clay and silt in the natural water, affecting runoff and accelerating soil erosion.  

In the river surrounding Arohane, the results of logging are obvious with a constant brown runoff into the ocean.    

"After logging began, there's been a decline in fishing because I think there's fewer fish," she said. 

"I think it's due to the effect of logging and oil and pollution to the river, so there's not so much for the people to use anymore."

The company logging directly at Arohane community left in 2022. It has been contacted for comment. 

The Solomon Islands Forestry Department said it was drafting a new bill to broaden regulations to "protect the beneficial interest of the indigenous people". 

It also said it had revised the logging code of practice to minimise environmental impacts. 

Saying 'no' to logging

Some communities have fought back, resisting the urge to give in to logging.    

In Solomon Islands Western Province, which is the opposite end of the county from Makira, the community people of Zaira on Vangunu Island have fought for years, with the help of scientists, to protect areas described as a "precious relic" of untouched biodiversity.

Back in Makira, one community has taken inspiration from the people of Zaira and gone on a different path, only allowing a tiny parcel of land to be logged in its community. 

But for village leader Paul Taeniara it hasn't been easy. 

"Ever since logging came to this region, [resisting] has been our main challenge," he said. 

"We've had a land surveyor and a licensee director approach us [wanting to log].

"They try to get permission from our village elders but luckily, we've already educated them to resist."

He said he believed the choices now would pay off in the future. 

"Though conservation takes patience, we’ll wait, one day we’ll reap the benefits," he said. 

"Even though other tribes have money from logging, we're all the same. 

"I haven't seen any tribe better off than we are."

Posted Sat 19 Oct 2024 at 3:49amSaturday 19 Oct 2024 at 3:49am


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