After the July 2003 intervention by Australian and islander police and military forces under the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), the military component of the force has been reduced in 2004–5. While Solomon Islanders largely welcomed RAMSI's work to end criminal activity by former militia members after 1998–2002 clashes between the Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM) of Guadalcanal and the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF), the Solomon Islands is moving to the difficult stage of economic reform. Over the last year, indigenous landowners and church leaders have challenged proposals for privatization of public utilities and for land registration. NGOs like the Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT) have surveyed popular anxiety about the lack of basic services, especially in rural areas, while a November 2004 report by Amnesty International has documented ongoing violence against women, even though armed conflict has largely ended.

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