From: "jbfox" <jbfox@is.com.fj>
To: <jbfox@is.com.fj>
Subject: 'austraLasia' # 398
Date: Tuesday, 8 August 2000 9:38 PM

ARCHBISHOP COMMENDS SALESIANS IN SOLOMONS PARISH

This is an extract from a chronicle-cum-letter penned by Archbishop Adrian
Smith SM from Honiara on 6th August).

At 1.00 p.m. this afternoon, with four DMI Sisters and one Religious
Brother, we set out from Honiara to go to visit at Tetere which is east of
Honiara. We had no difficulty at the MEF road block at Alligator Creek. They
let us through. A little further along the road we met Fr Ambrose who had
celebrated Mass at Tetere, and he waved for us to stop. He told us that he
noticed a number of men in and around the Seminary area. Being quite close
to the Seminary ourselves I turned in to see Fr Jack Harris and to make sure
all was well. While with Fr Harris, a number of vehicles drove into the
area. We left Fr Harris, and I decided it would be good just to go and check
what was the situation of Nazareth Apostolic Centre. On the way we met two
vehicles, both of which had men with arms. It then became clear what their
intention was. They had come to steal one of our cattle. I asked who was the
commander. They indicated where he was and I went to see him. I found him
and a sizeable group of men, armed. I appealed to them not to steal the
Church property. I could see they were in an aggressive mood. I left them
and we continued on to Tetere. It was disappointing to see such an
aggressive breach of the cease-fire. All have been requested to lay down
their arms. Arriving at Tetere, we found a large number of people taking
shelter there. There were possibly three hundred people, and shook hands
with many of them. We sat down and their leaders told their story. They were
people mostly from the areas that the MEF had infiltrated. For their safety
they had fled to Tetere. They spoke very highly of the care given by Fr
Pedro and Bro. Tanaka, both Salesians. Along the road, we met a number of
IFM militants all of them unarmed. It was time to return to Honiara and on
the way back I noticed one IFM militant carrying a gun. When we came back
into the Area Of Influence under the MEF, again we met many militants
heavily armed. They did not harass us in any way and we returned safely to
Honiara. Perhaps these early days are the uneasy days as these young men are
trying to adjust to the terms of the cease-fire. It’s a very fragile
situation.