SYDNEY, Australia: China will send police officers to the Solomon Islands to help train its police force, the Pacific island nation said on Thursday, after rioting last month sparked by the country’s 2019 switch of diplomatic relations to Beijing from Taiwan.
The unrest, in which dozens of buildings were burnt down, arose after the decision by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to launch relations with China fueled a dispute between the national government and the most populous province, Malaita. Other domestic issues also stirred the discontent.
Six Chinese police liaison officers will equip and train the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, a statement from the Solomon Islands government said.
The Chinese equipment includes shields, helmets, batons and “other non-lethal gears that will further enhance Solomon Islands Police ability in confronting future threats,” the statement said.
Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, told a regular press conference in Beijing: “China firmly supports the Solomon Islands government in safeguarding its domestic stability, bilateral ties and the rights and interests of Chinese citizens in Solomon Islands.”
Sogavare has blamed “agents of Taiwan” in Malaita province for the protests, in which dozens of buildings were torched in the Chinatown district of Honiara and shops looted, after the premier refused to speak with protesters.
Taiwan has denied any involvement in the unrest.
China claims the democratically governed island of Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure to assert its sovereignty claims, fueling anger in Taipei and deep concern in the United States.
To counter China’s expanding interests in the Indo-Pacific region, Australia has ramped up its presence in the Pacific via its membership of the “Quad” group, together with the United States, India and Japan.
“We are aware of China’s expected engagement in the security sector in Honiara. This is a matter for the Solomon Islands government,” a spokesperson for Australia’s foreign affairs department said in an emailed response.
Around 200 police and soldiers from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea arrived in the Solomons capital Honiara within days of the riots, at Sogavare’s request.
Some Australian soldiers who had been deployed in Honiara began returning home on Thursday.
Australia has a bilateral security agreement with the Solomon Islands. Australian police were previously deployed there in 2003 under a regional peacekeeping mission and stayed for a decade.
Solomon Islands taps China police advisers after riots
https://arab.news/zwf88
Solomon Islands taps China police advisers after riots
- Six Chinese police liaison officers will equip and train the Pacific nation's police force
- PM Sogavare blamed “agents of Taiwan” of stoking the protests, in which dozens of buildings were burnt down
Australia holds day of reflection to honor victims of Bondi Beach attack
- The gun attack, Australia’s worst in nearly 30 years, is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting Jews
SYDNEY: Australia held a day of reflection on Sunday to honor those killed and wounded in a mass shooting that targeted a seaside Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach a week ago.
The gun attack, Australia’s worst in nearly 30 years, is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting Jews. Authorities have ramped up patrols and policing across the country to prevent further antisemitic violence.
Australian flags were flown at half-mast on Sunday on federal and New South Wales state government buildings, with an official minute of silence to be held at 6:47 p.m. local time.
Authorities also invited Australians to light a candle on Sunday night “as a quiet act of remembrance with family, friends or loved ones” of the 15 people killed and dozens wounded in the attack, allegedly carried out by a father and son.
“At 6:47 p.m., you can light a candle in your window to remember the victims of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi and support those who are grieving,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on social media platform X late on Saturday.
Albanese, under pressure from critics who say his center-left government has not done enough to curb a surge in antisemitism since Israel launched its war in Gaza, has vowed to strengthen hate laws in the wake of the massacre.
On Saturday, the government of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, pledged to introduce a bill on Monday to ban the display of symbols and flags of “terrorist organizations,” including those of Al-Qaeda, Al Shabab, Boko Haram, Hamas, Hezbollah and Daesh.
Around 1,000 surf lifesavers returned to duty at Bondi Beach on Saturday, restarting patrols after a halt sparked by the shooting on the first evening of the Jewish festival.
A day earlier, Australia’s Jewish community gathered at Bondi Beach for prayers, while hundreds of swimmers and surfers formed a huge circle in the waters off the beach to honor victims.
Alleged gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene. His 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, who was also shot by police and emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon, has been charged with 59 offenses, including murder and terrorism, according to police. He remained in custody in hospital.
Authorities believe the pair was inspired by militant Sunni Muslim group Daesh, with flags of the group allegedly found in the car the two took to Bondi.
