Man enters SINCW’s Office and forcefully told them to stop criticizing Sogavare & China

A man who claimed to be a supporter of the current government has stormed into the Solomon Islands National Council of Women Office in Honiara today and forcefully told them to stop criticizing the Prime Minister and China.

“I don’t want anyone to criticize the government today. Stop. Please. Stop. I don’t want anyone to criticize Sogavare, China, please stop,” he forcefully told the SINCW officers this morning.

NCWC workers said they were stunned to see the man entered and started telling them to immediately stop criticizing Sogavare, his government and China.

The man refused to identify himself to the women but he later told SBM-Online in Honiara that his name is Edwin Kumba from East Central Guadalcanal.

He entered the SINCW office without notice and started telling the women to stop criticizing the government.

One woman said his voice was not pleasant and sound very threatening by compelling them not to criticize Sogavare and China.

The women told Kumba that they are independent and have a mandate to speak on public issues, this was after he accused them of teaming up with the Opposition Group to criticize Sogavare.

The women were angry when Kumba told them that they were used by the Opposition and said: “Nobody advise to us. We follow our mandate.”

Kumba also told the women that the security treaty was never secretly signed.

That had angered the women who stated that it was secretly signed as opposed to what he claimed.

He kept on repeating that: “I come to tell you to stop criticizing Sogavare.”

Kumba said he supports the Sogavare because Honiara belongs to government therefore those who live here must not criticize the government.

Though SBMOnline was provided with an audio of the Kumba’s rage with the women, we were able to speak to him in Honiara this afternoon as he was preparing to head home.

Kumba confirmed to SBMOnline that he was the one who walked into the office to tell the women to stop criticizing Sogavare and China.

He said he had followed the issues closely and wanted the women not to talk against the government.

When asked what right he has to stop the women from expressing their opinions, Kumba had no answers but reiterated that they must stop criticizing the government.

When SBMOnline pressed further as to who may have sent him to the women, he said it was his own idea.

Ruth Liloqula of the SINCW said the women in the office were shocked and scared when Kumba entered and accused them and forced them to stop criticizing Sogavare and China.

“This is a sign of more to come. I am asking the government not to use people to intimidate women of this country,” she said.

Liloqula said they would be looking into the incident before taking any moves and she didn’t rule out opening a police case against Kumba.

The SINCW had been very clear that they wanted the government to abandon its security treaty with China.

They had already made calls in the media and their position remains unchanged.

News@SBMOnline2022