The shocking reality of Downer's dirty little Solomon Islands' secret

The delegation was shocked that we had not been briefed by DFAT about the key issue for the Solomon Islands. We got an awkward explanation from our High Commission. Australia did not support the Solomon Islands' request. Australia thought that the Solomon Islands should put its own house in order. It was not worth risking Australian lives to send a police contingent.

That seemed madness to me.

A hitherto stable Pacific island nation was on the verge of collapse into lawlessness and the Australian government was going to stand aside. We were going to drag our feet with the certainty that our troops or police would later have to pick up the pieces of a tragedy that should never have been allowed to happen.

On 5 May 2000 I wrote to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer. I wrote:

Given [the] rare expression of unanimity across the [Solomon Islands] political spectrum…I believe it is important…that you should give serious consideration to the Solomon Islands' Prime Minister's request to the Commonwealth to provide [police] assistance. …The details need careful attention but should not obscure the fundamentals of trying to ensure that what has been hitherto a peaceful and successful Pacific country does not become subverted by a few armed people operating as militias and the consequent undermining of ordinary law and order.

I never got a reply.

Weeks later the Solomon Islands descended into chaos.

Three years later Australia is sending hundreds of troops and police to restore the peace that the Howard government failed to preserve when it had the chance.