THE Government should have done better to give Taiwan ambassador Oliver Liao a decent farewell during his departure on Tuesday at the airport.
Liao left the country after the Government made the decision on Monday night to cut off ties with his country.
Honiara resident Jay Tane uttered the words on Tuesday after seeing the Taiwanese Ambassador Oliver Liao and his visiting Foreign Minister and delegation flew off yesterday.
“It’s not part of our culture and it’s a shame for our country to see such thing happened,” he said.
Tane said; “the approach is not cultural especially to see a friend who actually stayed with us and help us for the last 36 years have to just go without a proper farewell or to say thank you.
“Taiwan has done a lot over the last 36 years and to see them just leaving our shores like this is not cultural,” he said.
He said the decision to switch is very rushed and the government should carefully make proper consultations and come up with better findings before making its decision.
“The relationship with Taiwan is a matter of our leaders sitting down with Taiwan and talked about what’s need to be improved rather than go on to make such quick decisions.
“So from what had happened, we can only describe our leaders who have involved in ‘Lovers of themselves’ and forgetting the future of this country and its people,” he added.
Tane said he hopes to see a government that will make things ready for its future and not the one that only want to suit its self and begging others for support.
He said switching ties will not help Solomon Islands to prosper but will increase the attitude of begging from others.
“We have our own resources and we only need what to do with them to be able to sustain us into the future,” he said.
He said yesterday’s goodbye was a sad one on behalf of the country where he hopes the government should have regret its decision.
By IAN M.KAUKUI