RSIPF and SIAF prepares for ‘Operation Parliament’ next week

Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and Solomons’ International Assistance Force (SIAF) have been preparing for “Operation Parliament” and are in the final stages of preparations. Teams have been briefed and are equipped to provide a safe and secure sitting of Parliament next week.

Commissioner of RSIPF Mostyn Mangau is reminding members of the public that people involved in activities such as rioting, looting and unlawful assemblies will be held to account by the justice system of the Solomon Islands.

RSIPF are prepared with our partner agencies from SIAF to conduct a safe joint Operation Parliament over the coming months. I encourage anyone with information regarding organisers or facilitators of violence, criminal or unlawful assemblies, to come forward to RSIPF with their information.

Operation Parliament will include specialist teams from AFP, SIAF and RSIPF deployed for the sitting period, RSIPF and AFP will have members conducting proactive patrols and road blocks actively dealing with any public order issues swiftly as we support a peaceful sitting period.

The operation will provide security, protection and a response capability to any unrest during the Parliamentary sitting period. RSIPF POM members from Central Response Unit (CRU), Provincial Response Unit (PRU) and Police Response Team (PRT) will join forces with AFP members from Tactical Response, RAPPP, SIAF and AFP special members Public Order Response Squad (PORS) supported by the RSIPF frontline members, and members from the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC), and New Zealand Police, with additional support from the Multinational Police Support Group (MPSG) including New Zealand Defence, Republic of Fiji Military and Australian Defence Force (ADF) members .

Commander Osborne DC-SIAF reinforced the message that teams have been preparing for the Operation Parliament over the past month. Honiara including the areas east and west of the city will be saturated with 24/7 SIAF and RSIPF patrols including road blocks that will be supported by aerial surveillance.

There will be a zero tolerance policy to instigators of violence or unrest.

The Commissioner RSIPF echoed this message and appealed to community and church leaders to support RSIPF in delivering a safe and peaceful Operation encouraging members of their communities to support the democratic processes here in Solomon Islands and to listen to RSIPF directives as noncompliance to security arrangements by the public will be dealt with force to protect the community from further unrest.