Australia sending federal police, troops to Solomon Islands amid riots

Australian military and federal police are in the Solomon Islands to quell rioting amid escalating civil unrest linked to China.

Australian military and federal police have been deployed to the Solomon Islands to quell rioting and restore order amid escalating civil unrest in response to the Pacific nation’s strengthening ties with China.

ADF troops have also been armed with lethal weapons have been told their role is not to intervene in the deteriorating domestic situation in the Solomon Islands.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the AFP and ADF personnel had been armed with “lethal and nonlethal weapons”.

“The rules of engagement are, effectively, that we are there on the basis of the request directly from the Solomon Islands government in accordance with our treaty,” Ms Andrews told ABC Breakfast.

“They are there to support the Solomon Islands police force. This is a policing matter, not a military matter.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews reiterated the Prime Minister’s message that Australian troops will help restore law and order. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“We have always had a very long and close relationship with the Solomon Islands.”

Ms Andews said Australia had a “clear role” – to help restore law and order.

“We know the situation is particularly volatile. Our role is to assist with restoring law and public order and to work very closely with the Solomon Islands police force,” Ms Andrews told Sunrise.

“(We will) make sure we do all we can to assist. We are very clear in what our role is.

“It is not to intervene at all in any domestic situation in the Solomon Islands of political nature. It is purely to assist with securing critical infrastructure and to make sure we can assist the Solomon Islands police force.”

The ADF will help to reinforce “critical infrastructure” at the nation’s airport, after Australia received reports of buildings being lit on fire in the nation’s capital.

Smoke from burning buildings rise from Honiara in the Solomon Islands on Thursday – the second day of rioting that left the capital ablaze and threatened to topple the Pacific nation's government. (Photo by Robert TAUPONGI / AFP)

In a statement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Australian government has been “watching the ongoing protests in Honiara with concern”.

“We continue to call for calm, for an end to any further violence and emphasise the importance of resolving tensions peacefully,” he added.

An initial group of 23 Australian Federal Police were deployed on Thursday afternoon, with a further 50 offices due to leave on Friday to support “critical infrastructure”.

Another 43 Australian Defence Force personnel from Army units based in Townsville have also been sent to the capital city of Honiara where peaceful protests turned violent on Wednesday.

Parts of the Chinatown district on fire in Honiara on Solomon Islands, as rioters torched buildings in the capital in a second day of anti-government protests. Picture: JOB RONGO'AU FUOO / ZFM Radio / AFP

A building burning next to the parliament building in Honiara on Solomon Islands. Picture: Courtesy of Charley Piringi / AFP

More than 1000 protesters, mostly from the pro-Taiwanese Malaita province – descended on Honiara demanding Solomons President Manasseh Sogavare’s resignation.

Angry demonstrators torched Chinese-owned shops, and videos showed local police firing tear gas and rubber bullets at looters.

By late Thursday thousands of looters openly defied police lockdown orders, running through the streets carrying boxes, crates and bulging sacks of goods as flames crackled around them and plumes of thick black smoke billowed high above the city, AFP reports.

Banks, schools, police stations, offices and Chinese-owned businesses were among the buildings reportedly torched.

Mr Morrison said Australia received a formal request for help from Mr Sogavare, and expected the deployment would last “a matter of weeks”.

Mr Morrison said the “situation remains volatile”.

“As an hour ago, we received reports of more buildings in the main road of Honiara burning,” he said on Thursday afternoon.

The prime minister said all Australian High Commission staff were safe.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Parliament House Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Morrison stressed that Australia will not be interfering in any processes and will strictly be on the ground in a support capacity.

“Our purpose here is to provide stability and security to enable the normal constitutional processes, within the Solomon Islands, to be able to deal with the various issues that have arisen,” he said.

“It is not the Australian government’s intention in any way to intervene in the internal affairs of the Solomon Islands, that is for them to resolve.”

Townsville-based federal member for Herbert Phillip Thompson said soldiers based in the North Queensland city being deployed to the Solomons were now “zeroing weapons and getting battle ready” to depart on Friday.

“I am extremely proud of our soldiers who are getting ready to deploy to the Solomon Islands at request of their Prime Minister to assist with their nations civil unrest,” he said.

There has been lingering dissatisfaction in Malaita over the Solomons government’s decision in 2019 to switch diplomatic allegiances from Taiwan to China.

At the time Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Beijing of bribing Solomons politicians to abandon Taipei in the run-up to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China under the Communist Party.

The public switch of allegiances to China had fuelled some concern the Pacific nation would not turn to Australia for security assistance.

That Mr Sogavare asked the Australian Government for help first was strongly welcomed and seen as a positive sign of the longstanding relationship between the two countries.

A building burning next to the parliament building in Honiara on Solomon Islands. Picture: Courtesy of Charley Piringi / AFP

Firefighters at a building after protesters set alight buildings and attempted to storm the parliament in the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara, which has since been placed under curfew. Picture: Courtesy of Jeremy Gwao / AFP

Describing the Solomons as “family,” Mr Morrison said Australia had a “unique” treaty with the Pacific nation that meant police and defence personnel were protected to undertake security activity there.

Australian forces deployed will be carrying lethal and nonlethal weapons, which Mr Morrison said would be “primarily” but “not exclusively” for “protection purposes”.

Mr Sogavare announced a 36-hour lockdown of the capital city of Honiara after Wednesday’s violent protests.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australians who are in Honiara were advised to avoid the crowds and protests and monitor local media for information.

– with Maria Bervanakis, Madura McCormack

Originally published as Australia sending federal police, troops to Solomon Islands amid riots