The Tonga Police 11th Contingent of five Senior Police Constables deployed to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) returned home on 4 December, after completing a one-year mission that included protecting the Solomon Islands Prime Minister and assisting local police.

The team was led by Contingent Commander Talau Fe'aomoeata and included 'Eliki Tomu, Mailiaetonga Limoni, Talamai Vaea with one woman constable 'Apikale Naitoko. They were welcomed by Police Commissioner Grant O'Fee today, at the Tonga Police Headquarter in Longolongo.

Contingent Commander Fe'aomoetau said three of the team including himself were posted to the Close Person Protection Team that provided protection and security for the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo.

He said Constable Naitoko was appointed as a Welfare Officer for the Pacific Islands Contingent and Constable Vaea was posted to advise the CID, Kukum Police station in Honiara and was later transferred to CID Henderson at Guadalcanal Province.

"We took our roles with pride, a high level of intergrity and commitment knowing that the job was beyond our personal interest and we were ambassadors for the Tonga Police and Government of Tonga. At times we faced challenges in the work we had to do, most times with the people we had to work and deal with but nothing was beyond resolve as such situations were always handled with tact and professionalism", he said. It was important to make sure all members returned safely home to their families.

Commissioner Grant O'Fee said reports from RAMSI credited Tonga Police and Tonga for successfully completing their mission.

"We go to places like the Solomon Islands not because of fun but because they are dangerous places and they need our help. We put ourselves in harm's way and in difficult and dangerous situations. Thank you for the mission," he said.

The Tonga Police 12th contingent to RAMSI consisted of only two police constables taking over duties starting this month, after six weeks pre-deployment training in Canberra.

RAMSI is understood to be down scaling the police deployment from participating forces to the Solomons.

Support

There are 15 Pacific countries serving under RAMSI, including Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Tonga, providing support for the enforcement of law and order in the Solomon Islands.

Tonga has been supporting RAMSI since it was first set up in 2003 to help settle civil unrest in the Solomons.