Freedom Suppressed in Solomon Islands

IN ANCIENT times a voice was raised to proclaim liberty throughout all the land of Israel. It was a welcome proclamation. Jehovah God was the author of the historic words found in the Bible at Leviticus chapter 25, verse 10: “Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” These words were embodied in the Jubilee law. It promised good things for the nation of Israel.

In these days voices are heard that oppose the principle of freedom. While claiming it for themselves, they deny it to others. It is bad enough when outright dictators try to stamp out freedom of worship. But what can be said of professed advocates and upholders of traditional freedoms who ban Bible literature, depriving others of free access to religious publications essential for their spiritual welfare? Can we excuse them because they are not so ruthless in their methods? Since they loudly assert that everyone has a right to believe what he will, read what he chooses and say what he thinks, in religious matters particularly, are they not more reprehensible in making proclamations that result in religious discrimination?

With these points in mind, consider this recent example of suppressing freedom. It was on March 23, 1956, that a proclamation was given by John Gutch, High Commissioner for the western Pacific, prohibiting the importation into the British Solomon Islands Protectorate of publications printed by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, as set forth in an accompanying schedule to that proclamation. Practically all the Society’s publications of recent date appeared on the list, including its official journal The Watchtower and the magazine Awake!

For over seventy years Watch Tower literature has been distributed far and wide. Today the Society publishes various editions and translations of the Bible, together with Bible aids in the form of books, booklets and magazines, all of which are read and highly appreciated by millions of people rich and poor, of all colors, representing scores of nationalities and in 160 different lands and islands of the sea.

Yet these publications are apparently considered seditious in the Solomon Islands, although they have free circulation in other British possessions!

To block the flow of Bible truth to Melanesian inhabitants, recourse was taken to section 8 of the Sedition Regulation, which reads: “If the High Commissioner is of the opinion that the importation of any publication would be contrary to the public interest, he may, in his absolute discretion, by Proclamation prohibit the importation of such publication, and in the case of a periodical publication, may, by the same or subsequent Proclamation, prohibit the importation of any past or future issue thereof.”

Whatever ostensible reasons may be offered for the High Commissioner’s action, it strongly appears to be a matter of religious prejudice. It certainly has nothing to do with the security of the Solomon Islands, nor can it be considered contrary to public interest to receive and study the Bible aids of the Watch Tower Society.

The application of such a regulation to prohibit religious literature is an abuse of administrative powers. It relegates religious liberty to a rigid control dependent on the discretion of one man. Individuals or groups not to his liking may be denied personal rights involving religious worship. Left to the whim of an official exercising such powers, freedom becomes a commodity to be doled out at will or withheld as he thinks fit. By applying the above regulation to such an extreme, freedom was suppressed in the Protectorate.

Not many days after the proclamation was given, its mischievous intent became manifest. An individual’s freedom was denied. The victim was a British subject and the only European witness of Jehovah in the territory. Naturally, he had shared his beliefs with others. As opportunity afforded he was able to leave Bibles and other literature with interested persons. Not knowing that an edict had listed the Society’s literature as undesirable, he was quite surprised when, on April 5, 1956, the police served him with a summons.

The next morning he had to appear in court. He was charged with having seditious literature in his possession and subsequently fined. But that was not all. Next his freedom of movement was curtailed, as the police told him he would have to leave the Protectorate on the first outgoing plane. With periodic visits they hounded him, fearing he might abscond.

Further encroachments on freedom of worship were made about a month later. A native Solomon Islander had his Watch Tower study books seized. On being brought to trial he too was fined. This person of good will keenly felt the loss he suffered. Writing to the Society’s Australian branch office he expressed a desire for spiritual assistance and in his broken English added: “I want this great blessing. Many people here hungry for Jehovah’s witnesses because they interested in the truth about the right knowledge of the only true God.” It hurts when officials interfere with such conscientious worship.

Glaring violations of fundamental freedoms not only stir deep feelings, they provoke serious thought. Is it consistent for such a prohibition to remain in force in a British Protectorate where freedom of worship ought to hold sway? Can one say it accords with the purposes outlined in the United Nations Charter dealing with human rights and fundamental freedoms, which are to be enjoyed by all people regardless of race, creed, color or social standing? Does the High Commissioner feel that the Solomon Islands are outside the orbit of ‘free nations’ and hence he is not bound by the moral obligation to preserve freedom? Is it a Protectorate in name only? These are some of the urgent questions raised by this issue.

How will the officials face and answer them?