Abstract
This paper deals with statement-taking activities carried out by the Solomon Islands Truth and
Reconciliation Commission （TRC） and the indigenous conflict resolution in the Solomon Islands. Especially,
it focuses on the conflict between the statement-taking and local cultural norms there.
The Solomon Islands experienced armed conflict from 1998 to 2003, in what is commonly referred to as
“ethnic tension.” Attempts to resolve the conflict—which caused about two hundred deaths and a number of
internally displaced persons—were made internationally, regionally and locally. The conflict finally ended in
July 2003 thanks to the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands. However, social
relations that had deteriorated due to the ethnic tension have not yet been fully repaired, with many problems
having accumulated.
The Australian-led mission immediately disarmed the militias, and arrested and prosecuted the
perpetrators of the conflict in cooperation with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force. Meanwhile,
reconciliation—one of the most important tasks in post-conflict societies—was addressed by multiple
agents, including the Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace, the Solomon Islands Christian
Association, and the Solomon Islands Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
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