PM blames ‘foreign powers’ for unrest

The prime minister of the Solomon Islands blamed foreign powers after rioting in the Pacific nation prompted Australia to send security assistance.

PM Manasseh Sogavare, in comments to the ABC, rejected criticism of the Pacific nation’s 2019 decision to end diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favour of Beijing, a move seen as contributing to the national crisis.

The crisis ‘‘is influenced and encouraged by other powers,’’ he said. ‘‘These very countries that are now influencing Malaita [the main island of the nation] are the countries that don’t want ties with the People’s Republic of China,’’ Sogavare told the ABC.

‘‘And they are discouraging Solomon Islands to enter into diplomatic relations and to comply with international law . . .

‘‘I don’t want to name names, we’ll leave it there, we know who they are.’’

Sogavare declared a lockdown Wednesday after about 1000 people gathered in protest in the capital, Honiara, demanding his resignation over a host of domestic issues.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the outburst of protests, but tensions between the government and the leadership of the most populous island of Malaita have been simmering for some time.

The premier of Malaita has been outspokenly critical of Sogavare’s 2019 decision to cut the country’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan, switching its diplomatic allegiance to China instead, accusing him of getting too close to Beijing.

The province has also complained it has been unfairly deprived of government investment.

The protesters on Wednesday 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.

‘‘They were intent on destroying our nation and . . . the trust that was slowly building among our people,’’ the government said in a statement.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the deployment includes a detachment of 23 federal police officers and up to 50 more to provide security at critical infrastructure sites, as well as 43 defence force personnel, a patrol boat and at least five diplomats. The first personnel left Australia on Thursday with more going yesterday, and the deployment was expected to last for a few weeks.

‘‘Our purpose here is to provide stability and security,’’ he said.

Morrison said Sogavare requested assistance from Australia amid the violence under a bilateral security treaty.

‘‘It is not the Australian government’s intention in any way to intervene in the internal affairs of the Solomon Islands. That is for them to resolve,’’ he said.

‘‘Our presence there does not indicate any position on the internal issues of the Solomon Islands.’’

The Solomon Islands, about 1500km northeast of Australia, were the scene of bloody fighting during World War II.

After it was captured by the Japanese, US Marines landed on the island of Guadalcanal in August 1942 to open a campaign to wrest back control. They were successful, though fighting in and around the Solomon Islands continued through the end of the war.

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

After the outbreak of the current protests, Sogavare ordered the capital locked down from 7pm Wednesday through to 7pm yesterday after saying he had ‘‘witnessed another sad and unfortunate event aimed at bringing a democratically elected government down’’.

‘‘I had honestly thought that we had gone past the darkest days in the history of our country,’’ he said. ‘‘However, today’s events are a painful reminder that we have a long way to go.’’

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 since his decision to cut ties with Taiwan.

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

‘‘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 at a daily briefing in Beijing.

He said that economic and other co-operation since the establishment of diplomatic relations has benefited both sides.

‘‘Any attempts to undermine the normal development of ChinaSolomon relations are futile,’’ he said.

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

‘‘Over the last 20 years Mannaseh Sogavare has been in power, the plight of Solomon Islanders has worsened whilst at the same time foreigners have reaped the best of the country’s resources,’’ Suidani was quoted as saying.