Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Friday blamed foreign interference over his government’s decision to switch alliances from Taiwan to Beijing for anti-government protests, arson and looting that have ravaged the capital Honiara in recent days.
But critics also blamed the unrest on complaints of a lack of government services and accountability, corruption and Chinese businesses giving jobs to foreigners instead of locals.
Honiara’s Chinatown and its downtown precinct have been focuses of rioters, looters and protesters who have demanded Sogavare, who has intermittently been prime minister since 2000, to resign.
The National Parliament building, a police station and businesses have been set alight during two tumultuous days in which police failed to control the mob.
Sogavare angered many in 2019, particularly leaders of the Solomon Islands’ most populous province, Malaita, when he cut the country’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Malaita leaders complain their island has been unfairly deprived of government investment since the change.
A plane carrying Australian police and diplomats arrived late Thursday in Honiara, where they will help local police efforts to restore order, Australia’s 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 said.
“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.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne did not agree that other countries had stirred up the unrest.
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