Mercy Aninono Siwainao is now aged 11 and Cinderella Aroahia Siwainao is aged 7. Dr. Jack Siwainao the father of the two girls and a Solomon Islands specialist doctor has been fighting to get her girls since 2022 for the safe return of his daughters following the demise of his Papua New Guinean wife.

In 2022, Dr. Siwainao claimed that her daughters were kidnapped and are now living illegally in Papua New Guinea. The girls were said to have been forced to unlawfully change their identities and were allegedly in the custody of a senior government official in PNG.

He appealed to Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare at that time and his PNG counterpart, James Marape, and their law enforcement agencies to do something about his case.

But nothing has been done until it was brought up in the Solomon Islands parliament this week. There could be hope for Dr. Siwainao as things have turned out positively.

“I would like the prime minister to bring this up at the highest level with his counterpart of PNG in the case of Siwainao girls. I think it is important as leader of our nation to ensure that our citizens have protection and reunited with their father,” the MP for East Are’are, said.

Hon. Peter Kenilorea Jnr

The MP for East Are’are Peter Kenilorea Jr had asked the Prime Minister about the issue of the return of the two girls Mercy Aninono Siwainao and Cinderella Aroahia Siwainao. Hon PKJ wanted Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to raise the issue with his PNG counterpart, James Marape, during next week’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga.

He said in raising the issue it can be discussed at the highest level of government. “It is important that this issue be brought to a just end and that these two girls return to their father,” said Kenilorea.

In response, PM Manele stated that the Solomon Islands high commissioner to PNG has been following up on this matter.

“Solomon Islanders returning to their Solomon Islands father,” said the Leader of the Independent Group.

Manele assured Parliament that the matter was now on the agenda and he would raise it with Marape.

He confirmed that it is on the agenda and it would be one of the issues he would be raising and following up with Prime Minister Marape when they meet bilaterally in the margins of the PIF.

“I am Dr. Jack Siwainao from Malaita Province, Solomon Islands. I was trained at UPNG as an undergrad and postgrad. I did my specialist training under Professor Glen Mola, the late Professor Amoa, and all the O&G Specialist Consultants at Port Moresby General Hospital. I have held a position, as a Specialist Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, for the past 7 years. I am in charge of the Labour Ward, Infertility Clinic, the O&G Ultrasound services, and Postgraduate Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist training in the Solomon Islands.

My daughters traveled with their mum (Grace Gou Nama from Kairuku in PNG) to PNG on the 12th of December 2019. Both of them were born in Honiara, and are both Solomon Islanders.

Mercy Aninono Siwainao (passport number: 118582), born on 17th April 2013, is now 9 years of age. Cinderella Aroahia Siwainao (passport number: 118615), born 30th March 2017, is now 5 years of age.

My daughters and I usually had video chats on Messenger, on Saturdays, 4 pm, PNG time. The last time I have ever spoken to them was, on the 5th of August 2022, exactly 107 days ago. That was before their mother’s death.

Their mother died at Port Moresby General Hospital on 10th September 2022, with a background history of long-standing uncontrolled hypertension (2012-2022). After their mother’s death, I tried to talk to them but I was not allowed to.

I inboxed Joshua Himina (who is an administrator of some sort working at Wewak or Sepik) on FB and told him that I am going to get my daughters back. He claimed that he was officially married to Grace, so he is my kids’ legitimate and legal guardian. He claimed to be a better father and more spiritual to take care of my kids.

I am surprised that someone who claims to be more spiritual, signed marriage vows (on 9^th August 2022) at the Magistrate, to a legally married woman, not yet divorced. And now using the unlawful marriage certificate based on lies (that Grace was never married) to claim custody of my children. Nothing is more spiritual than living in adultery, with a legally married woman.

BIGAMY is a crime. (I still have our marriage certificate with me).

Grace admitted to me, that fake PNG passports were created for our girls, as well. Instead of being born in Honiara, their birthplace was changed to Buka, North Solomons.

She also told me in March 2022, that our girls are using their stepfather's surname (Himina). We got into a heated argument about her changing our children’s identity without my prior knowledge or my permission.

Changing my children’s names is treason to my people of West Are Are, West Kwaio, East Are Are, and Olomburi in East Kwaio, in Malaita Province. Our name is our identity. My children’s names tie them to all the land they own on Malaita Island. They don’t own any land in Sepik or have ancestors in Sepik to be called Himina. This is insanity.

I tried to get to the girls but I received threats, in my pursuit of my daughters.

Today, it is 71 days since Grace passed away. Out of respect for Grace and her family, I remained silent, bearing the pain of not knowing the whereabouts of my kids, and not talking to them.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 7 & quote sets out children’s right to be registered immediately after birth, to a name, nationality and, – as far as possible – to know and be cared for by their parents”.

All that has happened to my daughters, Mercy and Cinderella, is a breach of this UN Convention that both our countries (Solomon Islands and PNG) have signed.

In my experience of working in PNG, sexual assault or rape is a daily happening. I fear for the safety of my daughters, living in PNG without their biological mother who usually drives them around. The perpetrators who usually people known to the child.

Grace wherever you are today in your life after death. I trusted you so much to allow our kids to go with you. If I had known that you would do this to our children, I wouldn’t have allowed them to board that flight with you. You have unlawfully changed the identity of our children, left them in the hands of Joshua, a man not related to them by blood, and you are gone. I am sorry but today, I have decided to speak up for the freedom of our children cos they would not speak for themselves. I hope you have asked God to forgive you for all these criminal things you have done to our kids.

To me, the changing of my children’s identity and the use of threats, amount to human trafficking and kidnapping – I think this is a serious crime.

In January 2022, Grace, you said to me as you were feeling sick (blood pressure 180/120 mm Hg), & quote, “Jack, if anything happens to me (meaning if I die), please take our girls back to the Solomon Islands. End quote. I promise I will.

I wrote (dated 22/09/22) to the PNG High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands in Honiara and attention to Immigration PNG but received no written reply. I received a phone call (once), and that was it. I had asked for the deportation of my daughters back to the Solomon Islands. On the 28th of October 2022, I again wrote to the PNG High Com. Since I had no response till today.

I have decided to take the story of my daughters to the media to get a faster response.

I therefore call upon the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Honourable James Marape, PNG Police, and PNG Immigration to deport my two daughters (living illegally without a visa in PNG for more than 2 years) to the Solomon Islands, as soon as possible.

I also call upon our Prime Minister, Honourable Manasseh Sogavare, and our Attorney General, John Muria Junior, to liaise with the PNG Government, to ensure my daughters (Solomon Islands citizens) return safely, home.

I am asking all my friends, colleagues, families, patients, Save the Children, and Women’s Organizations, to please advocate for the return of my daughters – please repost this story on your walls.