Greed and Grievance: Ex-Militants' Perspectives on the Conflict in Solomon Islands, 1998-2003

Acknowledgments

xi Acknowledgments This book is primarily dedicated to the thirty-nine “ex-militants” who generously shared their stories with me. For reasons of confidentiality, they remain unnamed. I am also grateful to the many other Solomon Islanders who went out of their way to talk to me about their experiences during the years of violence and hardship. A number of Solomon Islands government departments, agencies, and institutions have provided invaluable support for my research. My thanks to the Ministry of Education (especially Brother Timothy Ngele) for permitting the research and to the National Peace Council (NPC) (Paul Tovua, Victor Ngele, and Ronald Fugui) and the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (Gordon Nanau) for supporting my application for a research permit. I am grateful to the Solomon Islands Prison Service (especially Barry Aspey and George Samuel) for permitting me to interview inmates in Rove Central Prison and to RAMSI for supporting my request to the Prison Service. The staff of the High Court of Solomon Islands, particularly Nelson Laurere and Derrick Manu’ari, provided assistance in accessing judgments, court transcripts, and information from the case registry system. I am also grateful to the former public solicitor, Ken Averre, for assisting with court transcripts and providing guidance about the legal implications of interviewing people who are, or could potentially become, suspects in criminal cases. I am indebted to the following people for providing assistance during my trip around the island of Guadalcanal in April 2006: Joseph Gesimate (NPC Avu Avu), Nelson Sutati (NPC Marau), Cyril Kulusuia (NPC Marau), Israel Manekasi (NPC Marau), Nelson Sabino (NPC Kuma), xii ◊ Acknowledgments Benedict Pitu (NPC Kuma), Mahlon Leni (Peochakuri), Ellen Leni (Peochakuri ), and Nathan Raitoha (NPC Banbanakira). I am especially grateful to Victor Kikiti of the Community Sector Program and Tony Hurua of the NPC for their extraordinary small-boat handling skills and their intimate knowledge of Tasi Mauri (meaning “rough sea”) conditions on the Weather Coast. I would like to thank the following people for assisting with my trip to Malaita in May 2006: Joseph Au and Nelson Puraha (NPC Auki), Israel Mike (NPC Malu’u), Colin Ramo (Auki), and the NPC boat drivers Justin and Benedict. I am grateful to Sinclair Dinnen and John Braithwaite , both of the Australian National University, for accompanying me during parts of my fieldwork on Malaita. Thanks to the following people for assistance with fieldwork in Honiara and in the rural areas to its east and west: Hilda Ki’i, Lucien Ki’i, Jr., Solomon Rakei, George Hilly, Blondie George, Chris Baku, Douglas Mamaka, Craig Bailey, and John King. I am indebted to the staff of the AusAID-funded Community Sector Program for providing accommodation in Honiara, assisting with fieldwork logistics, and sharing their vast knowledge of the Solomons community sector. Special thanks to Frans Arentz, Val Stanley, Josephine Kama, Regina Gatu, David Lawrence, and Michael Lowe. My research has benefited from discussions, conversations, and correspondence with the following people in Solomon Islands and elsewhere: Abel Arambola, Kate Barclay, Ben Breen, Ben Burt, Tom Chevalier, Daniel Evans, Regan Field, Ian Frazer, Nick Gagahe, Ghislain Hachey, Tony Jansen , Johnston Koli, Alan McNeil, Ruben Moli, Mary-Louise O’Callaghan, David Oeta, John Roughan, Paul Roughan, Ian Scales, Tony Stafford, Phil Tagini, Jaap Timmer, Bartholomew Ulufa’alu, Morgan Wairiu, and Lisa Warner. I am particularly indebted to David Akin. I am also especially grateful to my Tikopian friends Solomon Rakei and John Foimua for their tireless efforts to assist my research and for their invaluable companionship. At the Australian National University I would like to thank my Ph.D. supervisors, Ben Reilly, Peter Larmour, and Sinclair Dinnen. I also benefited from discussions with John Braithwaite, Valerie Braithwaite, Hilary Charlesworth, Simon Creek, Jon Fraenkel, David Hegarty, Sango Mahanty, Amrita Malhi, Rebecca Monson, Tony Regan, Maylee Thavat, and Iris Wielders. Thanks to Kay Dancey for drawing the maps and to Jean Bourke and Bojana Ristich for copyediting. I am grateful to the Australian National University for financial assistance and logistical support. Acknowledgments ◊ xiii I am indebted to three anonymous examiners and two anonymous readers. Their comments and suggestions have been extraordinarily valuable. I hope they can see at least some of their advice reflected in these pages. I am also grateful to Masako Ikeda, acquisitions editor at the University of Hawai‘i Press, and Professor Brij Lal, the series editor, for supporting this project. Material from sections of this book has...