In an interview with Australia’s ABC news channel on Friday, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare refused to name the nations he suspected were behind the unrest, adding, however, that “we know who they are".
Sogavare insisted the only real bone of contention that led to the chaotic scenes earlier this week was the country’s closer ties with China. He dismissed as tangential all the other complaints – such as the central government’s alleged failure to provide infrastructure to the region – raised by protesters, who predominantly come from the Malaita Province.
The Solomon Islands’ prime minister noted he stood by his 2019 decision to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, which raised more than a few eyebrows in the Malaita Province, adding that the switch put the “Solomon Islands on the right side of history and it is in line with international law”. He also claimed the residents of the restive region are being “fed with false and deliberate lies” about the move.
Overnight, a 23-strong group of Australian Federal Police officers landed in the capital city of Honiara at the request of Sogavare. An additional 93 Australian security personnel are on their way to the troubled country. Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Karen Andrews, told ABC news on Friday that the contingent’s sole mission was to “assist the Solomon Islands police force to restore law and public order as soon as we possibly can”, with no intention to intervene in the country’s internal political affairs.
Long-standing tensions between the Solomon Islands’ central government and the Malaita Province came to a head on Wednesday when hundreds of demonstrators descended on the Pacific nation’s capital, encircling the parliament and demanding to be let in. Police tried to prevent them from entering the compound, reportedly firing tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd. At some point, a hut on the parliament's grounds where lawmakers go for lunch breaks was set on fire. After police reinforcements arrived at the scene the mob dissipated; however, looting and mayhem continued across the capital, with a number of Chinese businesses and a police station burnt down as a result.
From 1999 until 2003, the Solomon Islands were in the grip of ethnic violence, with various militias slugging it out across the country. Back then it took the intervention of an international Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) led by Australia and New Zealand to put an end to the violence that left thousands of people dead, injured or internally displaced.
Any attempts to disrupt the normal development of relations between China and the Solomon Islands are futile despite unrest over the status of diplomatic relations in the Oceania state, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Friday.
"China is closely monitoring the latest developments in Solomon Islands. We condemn the violence that has caused serious damage and property loss and support the Solomon Islands government’s efforts to end the violence and chaos. We are confident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Sogavare, the Solomon Islands government has the capability to restore social order at an early date and stabilize the domestic situation," the spokesperson added.
He highlighted that China will take all necessary measures to protect the rights and interests of residents and institutions in the country.
Commenting on the severance of diplomatic ties between the Solomon Islands and Taiwan in favor of China, the spokesperson also added that "the one-China principle is a norm governing international relations and an invincible trend with overwhelming popular support".
"The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Solomon Islands is a correct choice in keeping with the trend of the times that can stand the test of history. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have come a long way with fruitful outcomes in practical cooperation in various sectors, receiving Solomon Islands people’s sincere support and endorsement," Zhao said.
He noted "the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Solomon Islands meets fundamental and long-term interests of Solomon Islands and any attempts to disrupt normal development of Beijing-Honiara relations are futile".
At least 100 people have been arrested in the Solomon Islands after a wave of riots in the capital of Honiara, police reported on Saturday.
"The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) have arrested more than hundred suspects in relation to the current protest, riot and looting in Honiara," police said in a statement.
Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau called on people to stop the unrest, adding, "Please stop the looting and burning of infrastructures. Nothing will benefit you with such activities."
The bodies of three people have been discovered in a burnt-out building in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, police announced on Saturday, the first reported deaths after days of rioting in the restive city.
The charred bodies were discovered in a store in the Chinatown district, which has been a target for looters and protesters.
A security guard told AFP news agency he found the bodies in two rooms late on Friday.
Police stated forensic teams had launched an investigation and were still on the scene but that the cause of the deaths was unclear.
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