Neu: 2001-10-23 Contents of this issue:
1. Solomons Collapse ======================================================================== October 23rd, 2001 1. Solomons Collapse: A high-level delegation from Australia and New Zealand flies into the Solomon Islands today amid growing fears of a breakdown in law and order and a collapse of social infrastructure, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.. The islands are racked by crime, violence against political leaders and power shortages in the aftermath of two years of ethnic conflict, the newspaper said. And the crucially important international operations of Solomon Airlines have now been effectively shut down by Australian authorities over safety concerns. The visit follows talks on the deteriorating situation between Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, and his New Zealand counterpart, Phil Goff, the Sydney Morning Herald said. Tensions have been inflamed by the arrival of a new tranche of soft loan funds from Taiwan to compensate victims of ethnic violence, the newspaper reported. Gangs of former ethnic militiamen are trying to get money for themselves or extort it from people they say should not be receiving it, the Sydney Morning Herald said. It said shots have been fired at politicians and officials. Houses and vehicles have been destroyed. "Things are getting pretty bad up here," a foreign businessman in Honiara told the Sydney Morning Herald by telephone yesterday. "Just about all the four-wheel-drive vehicles have been stolen, and there is a lot of extortion going on." He said much of the trouble was being caused by so-called police special constables, who were former ethnic militiamen.(PINA Nius) __END__
