Fugui urged to act on promise
By IAN M.KAUKUI
TASK-FORCE chairman Moffat Fugui has been urged to act on promises he made to immediately address the predicament our students studying in Taiwan now face.
Honiara resident Jay Tane made the call following Monday’s decision to switch ties, leaving the future of 125 students studying on Taiwanese scholarships in doubt.
Fugui early this week said Beijing is ready to provide full scholarships for students studying in Taiwan if Solomon Islands switch ties to China.
He uttered the statement during a talk-back show via the national broadcaster organised by the Task Force before the switch is made.
The task-force leader said the issue of the 125 students studying in Taiwan was discussed during their visit to Beijing and that it will not be a problem for the government as China will provide support.
“Firstly, we have been assured by Beijing that as soon as the switch is made; they will immediately switch or transit our students to China.
“Secondly, they will allow the students to make their own choice of which University they want and that they will be placed accordingly and thirdly, when they are switched, they will be provided with full scholarships,” Fugui said
Given that the switch has already been made Tane called on Fugui to quickly fulfill the promise.
“It’s been two days now and nothing was heard from the government in terms of repatriating the students back or transferring them to China,” he said.
He added this time of the years is likely to be difficult to immediately transfer students to another school and to do that it needs time.
“I hope these 125 students will have somewhere to go but not to come back and join the rest of the roaming youths in Solomon Islands,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele on behalf of the government has assured all parents of students studying in Taiwan that everything will be okay with the students.
“I want to assure all parents of students studying in Taiwan that reports from our Embassy in Taipei has confirmed that all our students are well looked after and the government is looking at welfare with a serious eye,” he said.
