Solomon Islands protests: Public workers told to stay home as violent protests
Honiara, the Solomon Islands capital, has been hit by civil unrest since Wednesday, with protests, looting and burning of shops and businesses. Defying a previous 36-hour curfew, thousands of demonstrators have come out onto the streets calling for Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s resignation.
The new curfew will last from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily, effective from Friday. “During the period, only authorized officers are allowed to move within the city,” a government statement said.
Security forces have been unable to halt protests in Honiara, which call on the government to respect the rights of self-determination of the Malaita people, to limit ties with China, and to resume development projects in Malaita province — home to the country’s most populous island.
A Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) spokesperson told CNN by phone on Friday fire trucks had been sent to Sogavare’s residence as a precaution and that protesters had moved out of the city’s Chinatown district, where the violence had previously been concentrated.
On Friday, the central government advised all public servants to stay at home due to the unrest, with the exception of essential workers, and encouraged staff to ensure they had food supplies “due to the uncertainty of the current situation.” On Thursday, a local journalist said fires were blazing in Chinatown, and the police had lost control in eastern Honiara.
Jone Tuiipelehaki, a development consultant in Honiara, said Chinatown had seen some of the worst of the violence.
“Even during the lockdown period, we saw people looting and breaking into shopping centers around the eastern side of Honiara, but also in Chinatown especially, (which) received the full brunt of the violent protesters because they burnt down a lot of the shops in that area,” he said.
Tuiipelehaki said it was difficult to interpret whether people were looting because they saw an opportunity or if their actions were part of a genuine protest.
“There’s a lot of young people who are involved in looting and breaking into the shops,” he said, adding that he saw young men and women breaking into a shop selling alcohol.
“Even as we’re talking right now, I can see people running out carrying bags of rice, and cans and cartons of tinned fish,” he said.
Lisa Cuatt, Solomon Islands country director for Save the Children in Honiara, said by evening local time the situation had calmed but looting and rioting had continued throughout Friday.
“It’s been a very distressing few days. People are scared for their safety. Most of the violence has targeted buildings, but targeting infrastructure means you are targeting peoples’ livelihoods. Families and children lose out in that scenario,” she said, adding that one of the major buildings destroyed was a high school in the capital, during exam week.
“There’s no money left in the ATMs, the shops have been closed, families and children are going without food because it’s difficult or unsafe…
Read More: Solomon Islands protests: Public workers told to stay home as violent protests