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Solomon Star, Honiara, 31 January 2005
Letters
Corporal punishment
By Joel Lamani
I HEARD over the radio that the chiefs on Wagina Island have passed a bye-law to reintroduce corporal punishment. Among their arguments is that it is not new as it is practiced back in the Kiribati.
While I sympathise with the Chiefs I wonder if they realise that such practices are illegal in this country regardless of whether or not it is intended for a good cause. And I urge the legal authorities to charge the chiefs if they had smacked anyone under the new "bye-law".
There are legal means available to deter trouble makers and certainly smacking people in a Te Maniave is not among them.
And I wonder if the Chiefs do realise that smacking trouble makers is not within the bounds of the countries constitution regardless of where one originates from. And I further wonder whether the chiefs realise that they are now Solomon Islanders and as such are subjected to norms and practices acceptable in this country.
The argument that smacking trouble makers is acceptable back in the Kiribati makes me wonder if the chiefs do now realise that they are no longer iKiribatis but Solomon Islanders and as such must practice according to the Constitution of this country.
Rural Dweller
Choiseul ProvinceCopyright © 2004 Solomon Star Newspaper, Honiara, Solomon Islands
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