The Solomon Islands Tuesday withdrew official recognition for
Australia's top diplomat to the troubled South Pacific country,
Australia's foreign minister said, a move that dramatically
deepened a rift between the two nations.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare gave Australian High
Commissioner Patrick Cole notice Tuesday after telling Prime
Minister John Howard of his intentions in a telephone conversation
on Monday, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
Sogavare told Howard he planned to "declare Patrick Cole persona
non grata to kick him out of the Solomon Islands," Downer said.
Sogavare alleged Cole had "been talking too much to the opposition"
and had opposed an inquiry the leader has called into riots in the
country's capital, Honiara, in April, Downer said.
"It's an extraordinary, frankly, rather outrageous thing to do
to our high commissioner," Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corp
radio.
Downer said he expected Cole would have a few days to leave. The
diplomatic mission would remain open, with Cole's deputy in
charge.
Sogavare issued a brief statement late Tuesday confirming that
he wanted Cole to leave, but did not elaborate on why.
Canberra is in an escalating row with Sogavare about the
inquiry, which Downer said earlier Tuesday appeared aimed at
shifting blame for the violence that razed the Chinese business
district in Honiara away from the local officials and towards
Australian police deployed in the country.
Senior Australian diplomat David Ritchie flew to the Solomons
Tuesday to register Australia's concerns the investigation would
undermine prosecutions against two local lawmakers accused of
stirring up the violence.
"We believe that it will prejudice the outcome of court cases
against two imprisoned members of parliament facing riot-related
allegations and it will endeavor to cast blame for the riots on the
police response, including the Australian police," Downer told
parliament.
Downer said Australia would take an "appropriate measure" in
response to Cole's expulsion, but indicated that would not include
withdrawing the security forces because doing so would not help the
Solomons people.
(China Daily September 13, 2006)
