Prime Minister of Solomon Islands
Rt Hon Solomon Mamaloni
Prime Ministers Office
P.O. Box G1 HONIARA 
Solomon Islands 
Fax: 677 26088

        Dear Prime Minister,
                        Logging of your country's forests has been
in the news a lot lately.  I was shocked to read that your government 
is supporting a Malaysian company to log forests on Pavuvu Island 
when the landowners strongly oppose it.

     Of even more concern is the brutal murder of a local man who was
opposed to the logging, and that your government has failed to
investigate his death.  From the outside it seems that your
country is slipping further towards violent conflict similar to
neighbouring Bougainville, and that the foreign logging companies
have more say in the running of the country than the people of
Solomon Islands.

     I have been told that customary rights to land and resources is
the cornerstone of Solomon Islands and Melanesian culture.  The
lesson the world over is that abuses of indigenous peoples'
rights haunt and burden future generations, as they have to
redress the injustice at some stage.  Is this the legacy you wish
on your grandchildren?  Also, with the excessively high rates of
logging occurring in your country, surely it would be better to
support local village people to use their forest resources in a
way that is sustainable, such as the small¸scale timber production
plans by the Russell Islanders.

     I urge you to halt logging on Pavuvu Island immediately before
further blood is shed within the Russell Island communities, and
return all lands alienated from the customary owners back to
those rightful owners.  I urge you also to immediately start an
investigation of Martin Apa's death and ensure that justice is
carried out.


Yours sincerely



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