Solomon Islands revolt

The Solomon Islands are located northeast of Australia in the South Pacific. The archipelago consists of the two bigger Islands Malaita and Guadalcanal, four medium-sized islands and about 900 small islands. A major part of the 590,000 inhabitants live in the capital Honiara on Guadalcanal.

The nation is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Head of state remains Queen Elisabeth II even after the islands became independent from UK in 1978. She is represented by a governor general who is elected by the 50 parliamentarians. The parliament building is a gift of the United States of America. Official language is English.

The parties in the parliament form highly unstable coalitions, votes of no-confidence are frequent, and prime ministers change often. Present PM Manasseh Sogavare was toppled in 2007 by such a move but reinstated soon after.

In 2006 Chinese businessmen interfered in parliamentary elections which led to mass rioting, a deep resentment against the Chinese minority and the destruction of Honiara’s Chinatown. China sent chartered aircraft to evacuate her citizens who brought with them large sums of money.

In July 2016, PM Sogavare met PM Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei to thank her for investing in Malaita Province. But three years later he broke ties with Taiwan and suddenly shifted allegiance from Taipei to Beijing.

Discontent with his government was growing for lack of government services, worsening inflation and corruption.

When Daniel Suidani, the leader of Malaita confirmed that he was offered bribes by China, (he refused the money and voted in favor of remaining with Taiwan) the peoples’ fury broke loose. On December 24, 2021 citizens of both islands rioted in Honiara. They claimed Sogavare’s dismissal, but he refused stepping down. So they set fire to his residence. They looted the Chinese-owned stores and burned down most of the Chinatown. The shop owners fled into the mountains.

Sogavare survived the no-confidence vote. He appealed to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to send anti-riot forces. Morrison obliged and sent 100 lightly-armed policemen. The move is widely condemned. Despite a contract between the two countries that provides for mutual help in emergency situations, the move against the people is in the interest of the Chinese Government. Celsus Talifilu, advisor of Malaita’s leader says: We were thinking Australia would see the stand we are taking (against the “switch”).

South China Morning Post reported on November 25: The Chinatown blaze is fawning conflict and division. Australia’s anti-riot move is on the right side of history and is in line with international law.

Supreme wolf warrior Zhao Lijiang speaker of Chinese Foreign Ministry proclaimed: Under the leadership of Sogavare order will be restored. The rights of Chinese citizens and institutions must be safeguarded.

What are these institutions? In first line the Gold Ridge Mine, that was once abandoned in 2000 by The Netherland’s Ross Mining Company due to ethnic tensions. We know that the Chinese will exploit the country’s riches without sharing the profit with the Solomon Islands’ population. Brace for more rioting and revolts!

Erich Wannemacher