环球英语 — 146：2976 Melanesian Martyrs, Part 1
Voice 1
Hello, I’m Rachel Hobson.
Voice 2
And I’m Ruby Jones. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 4
“Everybody is talking about our situation. Today a village man came up to one of the Brothers... He asked him when we will stop praying for our six missing friends... We believe the authorities are keeping bad news from us. No one wants to be the messenger... But we need to know now. It’s been so long. And things do not look good.”
Voice 1
These are words of Richard Carter, a British priest. He wrote them in 2003. At that time he was experiencing a very difficult situation. He had moved to the Solomon Islands many years before. This small group of beautiful islands is in the South Pacific Ocean. Many people call them “The Happy Islands”. This is because of their clear blue seas, rich green vegetation and constant sunshine.
Voice 2
Outsiders could not imagine how people on the Solomon Islands could ever argue. There are two main islands - Guadalcanal and Malaita. Two different ethnic groups live on these islands. For many years, the two groups enjoyed good relations. But by the end of the nineteen nineties, the situation was changing for the worse. Trouble between the two main islands began to build up. This was mostly because of the difficult employment situation in the area. This situation began in the years after the Second World War. Many people on the smaller island of Malaita could not find work. So, they travelled to the larger island of Guadalcanal in search of jobs.
Voice 1
At first, the Guadalcanal community welcomed them. The two ethnic groups lived side by side in peace. But the job situation on Guadalcanal was getting more and more difficult. There were few jobs. So the native people of Guadalcanal became angry with the Malaita workers. Bad feelings between the two communities grew. Over time this turned into social unrest between the two groups. In the year 2000, the conflict became more serious. There were militant groups on both sides. These groups started to fight each other. The Solomon Islands had no official army. And no-one trusted the police force. So these soldiers did what they wanted. It was a very difficult situation for the people of both islands.
Voice 2
But some religious groups refused to accept this situation. Instead, they wanted to help improve it. One of these organizations was the Melanesian Brotherhood. The English priest, Richard Carter, was working with the Melanesian brothers. This religious community was made up of local Christian men. These men were mostly from the Solomon Islands. They had all made a promise to God about how they lived their lives. This involved serving their local community. To do this well, they chose to live simply. They had few possessions. They stayed unmarried. They learnt new skills. They shared the love of God willingly with everyone who listened to them. And this included all of the islanders. Ethnic origin did not matter to the brothers. And their selfless behaviour became especially important during the period of conflict.
Voice 1
The brothers acted as peace-makers between the two sides. They helped injured people get to hospital. Their community house became a centre for homeless people and those in danger. They also searched for missing persons. They helped families to look for the bodies of their dead relatives. Their acts of love and kindness affected many lives.
Voice 2
The conflict was also affecting the Solomon Islands’ economy. Governments of other countries withdrew their support. So, in October 2000, both sides agreed to sign a peace treaty. This took place in Townsville, Australia. This treaty included surrendering and destroying weapons. As time passed, most groups kept to the terms of the treaty. However, one militant group rebelled. This group was the Isatabu Freedom Movement. It was led by a man called Harold Keke. He continued to terrorise local people in his area. His behaviour threatened the whole peace process.
Voice 1
The Melanesian Brothers were involved in taking weapons from the militants and destroying them. The local people trusted them. So, one of the brothers offered to talk to Harold Keke. Brother Nathaniel Sado was from Malaita. He travelled to Harold Keke’s camp to start peace talks. Harold Keke knew Nathaniel and the Melanesian Brothers. Nathaniel believed that Keke would listen to the offers of peace. But Keke did not trust anyone. He believed that everyone was trying to kill him. So he took Nathaniel hostage. He tortured him for some time. Then, he killed him.
Voice 2
The brothers did not know what had happened. The weeks passed and still Nathaniel did not return. Richard Carter and the other brothers were very worried. So, six of them decided to visit Harold Keke’s camp to discover what had happened. The other brothers remained at the community house. They waited for the six to return. But months passed. And no one came back.
Voice 1
During that time the other brothers prayed night and day. They encouraged one another to keep hoping for a good result. The local community also shared their concern. These events worried them. The Melanesian Brothers were such good men - what did they do to deserve this? The long, hard wait continued. This is what Richard Carter wrote at the time:
Voice 3
“All the time we pray. The rain continues to fall. And in our hearts and minds we have the fear that our Brothers may be suffering.”
Voice 2
Then, on the eighth of August 2003, news reached the Brotherhood. An Australian peace-keeping force had met with Harold Keke. They persuaded him to surrender. Keke told the authorities what had happened to the six brothers. The rebels shot two of them immediately - Robin Lindsay and Francis Tofi. They shot the youngest brother, Alfred Hill, in the arm. Then they beat him to death. Finally, they took the last three brothers, Patteson Gatu, Tony Sirihi and Ini Paratabatu. They forced them to say that they were spies. They made the brothers stand in front of a large hole in the ground. Then, they shot them and buried them.
Voice 1
This news shocked the Brotherhood and all the Christians on the Solomon Islands. Richard Carter wrote:
Voice 3
“Their sacrifice seems too great and hard to believe…and yet there is a peace too - [these men] knew that there was a better way. They went ... because of their faith - faith that says we have nothing to fear, even in death.”
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