Witnesses claimed that Australian police began taking control of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, on Friday following days of violent protests in the South Pacific island nation.
On Friday morning, tear gas was deployed in Chinatown, where looting and setting fires continued and a new curfew was anticipated to be enforced later in the day.
On Friday, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who had requested assistance from Australia, blamed foreign governments for inciting the violence, but did not name any.
Many of the demonstrators are from Malaita province, which feels neglected by the government in Guadalcanal province and are opposed to the province’s decision in 2019 to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish formal connections with China.
In the South Pacific, China and Taiwan have been enemies for decades, with some island states switching allegiances.
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