Solomon Islands leader blames foreign powers for unrest

CANBERRA, Australia —  Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Friday blamed foreign interference for anti-government protests, arson and vandalism that have ravaged the capital in recent days.

Sogavare angered many in 2019, particularly leaders of the Solomon Islands’ most populous province, Malaita, when he cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and allied instead with Beijing.

A plane carrying Australian police and diplomats arrived late Thursday in Honiara, the capital, where they will help local police efforts to restore order after a second day of violent anti-government protests, Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said.

Sogavare said he stood by his government’s decision to embrace Beijing, which he described as the “only issue” in the violence, which was “unfortunately influenced and encouraged by other powers.”

External pressures were a “very big ... influence. I don’t want to name names. We’ll leave it there,” Sogavare told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“I’m not going to bow down to anyone. We are intact, the government’s intact, and we’re going to defend democracy,” he added.

Sogavare‘s critics also blame a lack of government services and corruption for the unrest.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne did not agree that other countries had stirred up the unrest.

“We have not indicated that at all,” Payne said.

“We’ve been very clear. Our view is we don’t want to see violence. We would very much hope for a return to stability,” she added.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday committed troops, police and diplomats to help local police restore order and protect critical infrastructure.

Australia would not assist in the protection of the National Parliament and the executive buildings, in a sign that the government in Canberra was not taking political sides.

Some observers say Australia intervened quickly to avoid Chinese security forces moving in to restore order.

But Morrison said Sogavare had asked for help because he trusted Australia.

“The Solomon Islands reached out to us first ... as family because they trust us and we’ve worked hard for that trust in the Pacific,” Morrison told Adelaide Radio FiveAA.

“That is our region and we’re standing up to secure our region with our partners, our friends, our family and allies,” he added.

Sogavare requested assistance from Australia under a bilateral security treaty that has existed since 2017, when Australian peacekeepers last left the Solomon Islands.

Australia led an international police and military force called the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands that restored peace in the country after ethnic violence from 2003 until 2017.

China, meanwhile, expressed concern about recent attacks on some Chinese citizens and institutions, without providing details.

Honiara’s Chinatown has reportedly been hard hit by arsonists and looters.

“We believe that under the leadership of Prime Minister Sogavare, the Solomon Islands government can restore social order and stability as soon as possible,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Thursday.

He said that economic and other cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations has benefited both sides. “Any attempts to undermine the normal development of China-Solomon relations are futile,” he said.

Dutton said a plane carrying 23 federal police officers and several diplomats flew from Canberra to Honiara late Thursday.

As many as 50 more police officers and 43 defense force personnel with a navy patrol boat were scheduled to arrive Friday.

The Australian force would also be equipped to “provide a medical response,” Dutton said.

“It’s certainly a dangerous situation on the ground. We’ve seen the rioting that’s taken place, the arson and the general disorder that’s there at the moment as well,” Dutton told Nine Network television.

“So there’s a lot of work for the police to do on the ground,” he added.

Sogavare declared a lockdown Wednesday after about 1,000 people gathered in protest in Honiara, demanding his resignation over a host of domestic issues.

The protesters breached the National Parliament building and burned the thatched roof of a nearby building, the government said. They also set fire to a police station and other buildings.

Sogavare ordered the capital locked down from 7 p.m. Wednesday through 7 p.m. Friday after saying he had “witnessed another sad and unfortunate event aimed at bringing a democratically elected government down.”

Despite an announcement from the Solomon Islands police force that they would be conducting increased patrols through Honiara amid the lockdown, protesters again took to the streets Thursday.

Local media reported that many of the protesters were from Malaita, whose premier, Daniel Suidani, has been at odds with Sogavare, whom he accuses of being too close to Beijing.

Suidani said he was not responsible for the violence in Honiara, but told the Solomon Star News that he agreed with calls for Sogavare to resign.

McGuirk reported from Canberra and Rising reported from Bangkok, Thailand.