RAMSI Tuesday?

The sack of Chinatown and other parts of Honiara in April went by a variety of names, mostly descriptive. The terrible events and the pall of smoke, hence 'Black'. The seeming madness that descended in the form of the looting crowds - hence 'Karange'.

In this story, Mike Wheatley, formerly of the Australian Army and the SI Police, is naming the day by who he thinks should shoulder the blame for the policing failure - RAMSI.

‘RAMSI Tuesday’ Wasn’t Due To Intelligence Failure
By: Mike Wheatley
Wednesday 24 May 2006

‘The stranger’s eyes are wide open, but he does not see anything’
- Supyire Proverb

On Tuesday, 18 April 2006, the democratically elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands was stoned by an angry mob on the steps of Parliament, tear gas was tossed around, a large chunk of the national capital, Honiara, was burnt to the ground, livelihoods were lost and lives seriously threatened.

How can such a thing happen on RAMSI’s watch — with the region’s pocket superpower, Australia, in charge? Where’s the stench of burning reputations to match the stench of burning Chinese stores?

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