“I will not tolerate any foreigner coming into my province to intimidate, harass, or put the lives of my people in danger,” Premier Stanley Siapu.

Premier of Makira Ulawa Province is calling on the Kirakira Acting Provincial Police Commander and Forestry Office in Kirakira to explain why his office was not informed of the issue where a group of Asian employees from a logging camp attacked villagers of Ubuna in West Makira.

Premier Stanley Siapu said his office was only aware of the issue after it was exposed in the media.

He said his office should be informed of the incident.

Premier Siapu called on police to explain why it did not respond to the incident immediately.

He questioned the role played by the Kirakira forestry office in protecting landowning rights and properties.

Premier Siapu questioned why Asians involved in the incident were not arrested.

He said his office will make sure these Asians are accountable for their deeds calling on the Commissioner of Police to investigate his officers at Kirakira.

“The Police commissioner should seriously investigate this incident, and as well as the forestry officers, they tend to be more supportive of the loggers rather than protecting the interests of the locals,”he said.

“I will make sure that the police take these people into account for their actions, I will not tolerate any foreigner coming into my province to intimidate, harass, or put the lives of my people in danger.”

Mr. Siapu said police officers were quick to attend to another incident last week at Maraoni Village in the Weather Coast of Makira where some landowners were arrested for demanding compensation from another logging company for an access road built on their customary land.

He said, the integrity of these officers are seriously in question.

By: Allen Waitara.