Keystone
During several days of violent protests on the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, the police arrested more than 100 people. They were suspected of being involved in rioting and looting, the police said on Saturday night. The authority called for people to stop looting and setting fire to buildings. Otherwise further arrests threatened, it said. In the capital Honiara, demonstrators had been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare since Wednesday, but the latter has so far refused.
Since then, numerous buildings, including the parliament and the houses of members of the government, have been attacked and partly burned down and shops have been looted during riots, the media reported. Security forces deployed from Australia and Papua New Guinea arrived on Friday to assist the local police. The government also imposed a night curfew in Honiara until further notice.
The small island nation broke with Taiwan in 2019 and established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. The decision led to internal political tensions, also against the backdrop of investments.
In the particularly badly affected district of Chinatown, three bodies were found in a burned-out building, the CNN reported, citing a police spokesman. The agency is currently investigating the cause of death and the identity of the victims. It was initially unclear whether there was a connection with the riots.
SDA
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