THE AGE – By Rod McGuirk November 26, 2021 — 8.55am
The Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands blamed foreign powers after rioting in the Pacific nation prompted Australia to send security assistance.
Manasseh Sogavare, in comments to the ABC, rejected criticism of the Pacific nation’s 2019 decision to end diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favour of Beijing, a move seen contributing to the national crisis.
The crisis “is influenced and encouraged by other powers,” he said.
“These very countries that are now influencing Malaita [the main island of the nation] are the countries that don’t want ties with the People’s Republic of China,” Sogavare told the ABC.
“And they are discouraging Solomon Islands to enter into diplomatic relations and to comply with international law…”
“I don’t want to name names, we’ll leave it there, we know who they are,” he said.
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