Solomon Islands PM Sogavare Faces Motion of No Confidence After Unrest
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare says the opposition is responsible for the violent protests in the capital of Honiara, as he faces a motion of no confidence before parliament after the recent unrest.
"The call for me to resign and this motion, sir, was made against the backdrop of an illegal attempted coup," said Sogavare. “I cannot in good conscience resign in the forces of evil.”
Sogavare has blamed “other powers” for anti-China riots as Australian troops were deployed to help quell the unrest.
Divisions over the Pacific nation’s diplomatic recognition of China over Taiwan in 2019 was “the only issue” behind the conflict, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “Unfortunately, it is influenced and encouraged by other powers,” he said, adding: “I don’t want to name names, we’ll leave it there -- we know who they are.”
The spat is centered around two main islands about 110 kilometers (70 miles) apart with a history of clashing: Guadalcanal, which holds the capital Honiara, and Malaita, the most-populous isle with a third of the nation’s 650,000 people. Daniel Suidani, who leads Malaita, has been a vocal critic of the decision to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of Beijing, which opened an embassy in Honiara last year.
The “very countries that are now influencing Malaita are the countries that don’t want ties with the People’s Republic of China and they are discouraging Solomon Islands to enter into diplomatic relations and to comply with international law and the United Nations resolution,” Sogavare added.
Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse about 1,000 anti-China protesters who were demanding Sogavare’s resignation in the capital of Honiara, the ABC reported, while the Solomon Islands Herald reported that protesters looted and damaged shops in the city’s Chinatown and marched to the Chinese embassy.
The conflict shows the power play between the U.S. and China is having real consequences even in unlikely, remote corners of the world previously removed from geopolitical tensions.
“Every region is now in the contest,” said Mihai Sora, a former Australian diplomat who was based in the Solomons and who now is an expert in Pacific geopolitics for the Lowy Institute research group. “Beijing has ambitions to become the regional hegemon. With sufficient local support in a Pacific country, China could potentially establish a military and security presence, which would increase its ability to project force in the Indo-Pacific.”
Over the past decade, China’s growing influence in the 14-nation Pacific Islands -- whose cumulative population of just 13 million is sprawled over thousands of islands and atolls in a region stretching across 15% of the world’s surface -- has worried the U.S. and its allies, particularly Australia.
It’s been two years since the Solomon Islands -- one of the biggest economies in the region -- recognized China and ended formal relations with Taiwan that began in 1983. Another Pacific nation, Kiribati, quickly followed suit, leaving Taiwan with just four supporters in the region.
China has reacted strongly to the violence, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian saying at a regular press briefing in Beijing that “we are greatly concerned over attacks on Chinese citizens and businesses and have asked the local government to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of Chinese nationals and institutions.”
“All attempts to disrupt the normal developmental relations between China and the Solomon Islands are just futile,” he added.
Lawmakers in Washington and Canberra have warned developing countries to avoid taking Chinese loans, saying that Beijing would use the debt as geopolitical leverage. China has spent at least $1.7 billion in aid and loans to the Pacific Islands in the past decade, much of it on much-needed transport and utility infrastructure, according to Lowy Institute data.
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Great Leader that will go down in the history books of Solomon Islands.
Real leader of Solomon ❤💯
Every blind commentators. Motion of No Confidence is to satisfy hatred and hunger for power by certain people who use crime to get power and leadership. PM Soga is the right leader for SI today
Powerful leader. Keep going sir. 🙏
My good pm only the pm that don't want re colonist he now that the country has its own sovereign powers .❤we no longer a morden slave victime in our own country
You doing decisions by your own power not listening to your people.
papua new guinea is much much closer than solomon did not make any noise , why australia morison makes so much fxxxxxx noise ?
Stand on your ground pm
Corruption nma biki lo group blo u
Yes then listen to your people....Don't stand your own strength
brave pm.dont resign. you have big support
very good speech, a true leader indeed, greetings from Vanuatu
He said he didn't did anything wrong?..
Stand for democracy. Right but do you really uphold demogratic principles. Who knows. Let the court decide if you say you didn't do anything wrong. Money mongers leaders didn't do a right decision thought they are majority did.
There's no such thing. Sometimes I just like to make people feel like their opinion counts coz it amuses me but really its do what I say or die.
There you say, you are are a democratic elect prime minister, the question is this, then what about the late ulufalu's lead Government,he is is not a democratic elect leader?!.
Hemi ok you PM but what good na you doim fo SI? Everything corrupt nomoa boss.
THE PM OF SOLOMON ISLANDS STAY STRONG. AUSSIE PM IS BEING SCARED AND A PUPPET OF US AND ALLIES.
CHINA IS A FANTASTIC COUNTRY AND CAN HELP DEVELOP SOLOMON ISLANDS AS A HUB OF BUSINESS VENTURES.
Point
powerful speech indeed
Resign or face a coup, is that what this is about
WOOW YOU GUYS ARE JUST F0ULL OF HATERED THATS ALL. YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN THE COUNTRY? I DOUBT IY WILL SUCCEED. NOBODY IS CAPABLE OUT OF ALL MPs? Not one at all. Just full of walks to talk end of story. Your strength is riot that is all top much pride, money hungers, not even set up any projects for your people like other Provinces do. About time you lot have respect, humble yourselves, honoring our govt and PM or is that what you all lable yourselves Christmas people???
Empty drums makes a lot of noise..
Yes,,, empty drum make alot of noise for the prime Minister to step down
@@jamehbae2791 empty drum for dodo inside....seriously
Saying you will fight for Democracy then switching from Taiwan to China is...Plain stupidity
Cos USA even big countries not recognize Taiwan as a country but they play Taiwan for their own interest
Why not ask your country to switch from China to Taiwan then?
@@zhijingchen4563 This is my country you stupid shytt
Yeah because USA is very democratic...lol.
Believe it or not, people in China now are much happier and healthier than most democratic countries, especially Indians.
Why you allow China to take some part of Solomon island. If Solomon island people are not happy so what can you do PM.
poor solomon papua join china to advance the economy, australia is just a swindler 😂😂
MR. ME!!!! big head high minded Leader
This leader is very charming.
Power and $ hunger
Mr Sogovare, I'm from PNG but I think you should listen to your people & step down. You're confused?
Otherwise, it's gonna be negative repocucians by your people. I think you're a greedy PM & selfish PM? Just like many of the PNG PM's?
Papua New Guinea
yes he is one hell of a prime minister, stupid and shellfish.
Step down please
Thanks PM u hero
@@jamehbae2791 hero oe na....seriously
Wrong prime minister
Ota man behindm yeah 4 selen nma yeah..Pocket yeah full olowe nma Hahahahahahaha..leaders 4 money nma..