From: "jbfox" <jbfox@is.com.fj>

Subject: 'austraLasia' # 410

Date: Thursday, 24 August 2000 9:56 PM

SOLOMONS: FROM THE ARCHBISHOP'S DIARY

+ Adrian Smith SM

HONIARA: 23rd August -- "The lack of law and order continues to haunt Honiara. Brother Francis Tanaka, a Salesian Brother, had his motor bike stolen a few days ago. That same Brother drives a 3-tonne truck on behalf of the Don Bosco Programme. That particular truck is at Tetere which is east of the Alligator Creek MEF road block. It's probable that if Brother attempts to bring the truck back to Honiara, it will be confiscated. The reason given is, the truck was used to take food to families east of Honiara.

The virtual blockade of food to assist people either east or west of Honiara is a direct breach of the spirit of the cease-fire agreement. There are, happily, instances in which those manning the MEF road blocks allow women to come into Honiara and to procure some food. The mood of those on the road blocks is unreliable, and so any positive plan for relief is difficult to organize. The danger of large scale of confiscation of relief supplies makes it extremely difficult for those willing to help, to be able to carry out an organized programme."