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. Itís a very fragile

situation.