Cabinet agrees to send force to Solomon Islands

3.00pm

Cabinet has agreed New Zealand should take part in an intervention force in the Solomons, providing police and soldiers to help restore law and order, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said this morning.

The Solomons Parliament began meeting in Honiara today to endorse the call by Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza for outside help so that his government can regain control of the near-bankrupt nation.

New Zealand and Australian forces would not go into the Solomon Islands like a Pacific deputy sheriff and might not stay there for long, Mr Goff said.

The next move was up to the Solomons Parliament, which had to pass legislation before foreign troops could move in.

"That could take up to a fortnight. I think once they've made the decision and passed the empowering legislation, people would want to respond reasonably quickly," he said.

"We need to be working with people, not over them.

"This is not neo-colonial, this is not a deputy sheriff working in the Pacific."

Mr Goff said the cabinet recognised the need to move carefully, and be aware that it was easier to get into a situation than it was to get out of it.

"To help the Solomons make the changes that it needs to make could take years," he said.

"But that doesn't mean a military presence would take that length of time -- that could be very short-term."

Mr Goff has previously estimated New Zealand could send about 40 police and up to 200 military personnel.

Australia is considering significantly bigger numbers, and has plans to keep troops on navy ships offshore.

"We're looking at different configurations and Australia is coming to decisions on final numbers," Mr Goff said.

"It's an important decision to make. We've made decisions about Afghanistan and Iraq, those are areas where New Zealand is a minor player.

"We have a different relationship with the Pacific, we are more relied on."

Mr Goff said the message he was getting from the Solomons was that there was overwhelming public support for an intervention force.

Prime Minister Kemakeza has described it as "the best hope for the Solomon Islands and our people in the future".

According to a policy statement obtained by Reuters, the main task of the force would be to re-establish security in Honiara and enable the government, business and the community to operate free from intimidation.

- NZPA