SCARY POLITICS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

ACCORDING TO VIJAY PRASHAD (THREAD READER 26 NOV 2021) A dangerous situation is afoot in the Solomon Islands. A coup is on with the government of Manasseh Sogavare threatened with overthrow by a revolt in Malaita, pushed by the U.S. and Australia Australian troops have arrived in Honeira, the capital of the Solomon Islands. PM Scott Morrison says that they will only be there for ‘weeks’. We shall see. This intervention has been planned for years, since Solomon Islands recognized Beijing over Taipei in September 2019. When Sogavare switched his link to China, the U.S., driven by Marco Rubio, and other violators of international sovereignty, built a coalition of anti-communists and pro-Zionist Christians. See the Israeli flag held by those making the coup

      WHILE I'M BY NO MEANS A MARXIST, PROFESSOR PRASAD'S VIEWPOINT SEEMS TO MAKE GOOD SENSE. WHY ELSE WOULD THE AUSTRALIANS BE INTERFERING? THEY HAVE A HORRIFIC HISTORICAL: REPUTATION e.g. BECAUSE OF THEIR ABUSE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA AND THE SURROUNDING ISLANDS, THEIR ABUSE OF ORPHANS FROM BRITAIN, AND THEIR ABUSE OF THEIR OWN LGBT PEOPLE. WHY SHOULD THIS BE ANY DIFFERENT?

                                                             VIJAY PRASHAD (WIKI)

                                                                     by UNCTAD

                                                        SOLOMON ISLANDS (WIKI)

Post-conflict era[edit]

Kemakeza remained in office until April 2006, when he lost the 2006 Solomon Islands general election and Snyder Rini became PM. However allegations that Rini had used bribes from Chinese businessmen to buy the votes of members of Parliament led to mass rioting in the capital Honiara, concentrated on the city's Chinatown area. A deep underlying resentment against the minority Chinese business community led to much of Chinatown in the city being destroyed.^[81] Tensions were also increased by the belief that large sums of money were being exported to China. China sent chartered aircraft to evacuate hundreds of Chinese who fled to avoid the riots.^{[citation needed]} Evacuation of Australian and British citizens was on a much smaller scale.^{[citation needed]} Additional Australian, New Zealand and Fijian police and troops were dispatched to try to quell the unrest. Rini eventually resigned before facing a motion of no-confidence in Parliament, and Parliament elected Manasseh Sogavare as Prime Minister.^[82][83]

Sogavare struggled to assert his authority and was also hostile to the Australian presence in the country; after one failed attempt, he was removed in no confidence vote in 2007 and replaced by Derek Sikua of the Solomon Islands Liberal Party.^[84] In 2008 a Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established to examine and help heal the wounds of the 'tension' years.^[85][86] Sikua lost the 2010 Solomon Islands general election to Danny Philip, though after a vote of no confidence in him following allegations of corruption, Philip was ousted and replaced by Gordon Darcy Lilo.^[87][88] Sogavare returned to power after the 2014 election, and oversaw the withdrawal of RAMSI forces from the country in 2017.^[74] Sogavare was ousted in a no confidence vote in 2017, which saw Rick Houenipwela come to power, however Sogavare returned to the Prime Ministership after winning the 2019 election, sparking rioting in Honiara.^[89][90] In 2019 Sogavare announced that the Solomons would be switching recognition from Taiwan to China.^[91][92]

In November 2021 there was mass rioting and unrest.^[93]