JFK SOLOMONS PROTEST RED CHINA
On November 25, 2021 riots broke out in the capital city, Honiara, on the island of Guadalcanal, at the Parliament buildings and in Chinatown, by protesters demanding the resignation of the corrupt prime minister for jobs and resources going to Chinese instead of to Solomon Islanders.
They stopped a huge travesty two years previously when the Prime Minister signed a secret deal handing the strategic island of Tulagi -- JFK's home base during WWII -- to China. This happened immediately after the Solomon Islands -- in another secret deal in September 2019 -- changed its allegience from democratic Taiwan to communist China. See RED CHINA INVADING JFK'S SOLOMONS
Some heroic provincial and national politicians -- patriots representing the interests of the people -- are standing up and attempting to stop the treasonous government's handover of Solomon Islands to Communist China. The so-called Free World powers in the Pacific -- Australia and New Zealand -- are aware of the threat but, by doing nothing to stop it, are enabling it happening. See RED CHINA SHADOW LOOMS OVER OZ & RED CHINA TERRORIZES KIWI PATRIOT
Below are news articles explaining the Solomon Islands' dire situation leading up to the appointment of JFK's daughter as USA Ambassador to Australia and her ceremonial visit August 2022 to commemorate the 80th anniversay of the Battle of Guadalcanal and the 79th anniversary of her father's survival and rescue. See JFK'S CAROLINE VISITING SOLOMON ISLANDS
All the best,
Jackie Jura, August 31, 2022
Premier of Malaita, Daniel Suidani
claimed he was offered a $1-million bribe to switch allegiance to China from Taiwan
by 60 Minutes/Channel 9, July 11, 2021
The lease document, which was obtained by 60 Minutes, shows it was signed by Tulagi's provincial leader, who reportedly hasn't been on the island since. The one signature was almost enough for China to secretly gain full control over the tiny island. However, when the document became public it was ruled unlawful and the lease was not granted. Though the plan for a 75-year lease was unsuccessful, another of China's plans was recently executed. A $825 million deal was struck to allow China to redevlop the Solomon Islands' Gold Ridge mine. Chinese ambassador Zue Bing, described the deal as an "early harvest". Along with the profits from the mine, all port facilities, roads, rail and bridges built to service it will also remain in China's control.
watch Solomon Islands political leader turns down bribe to switch ties from Taiwan to China, You Tube
The premier of the Solomon Islands' most populous province has rejected a bribe from an aggressive China which is attempting to exert its influence in the region by offering aid in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Such aid then allows China to assert its influence which often comes with the condition of signing up to Beijing's controversial Belt and Road Initiative. Malaita Province Premier Daniel Suidani told Sky News Australia in an exclusive interview that he decided to not "take the bribe" from China as he is a representative of his people and acts in their interests. "I am just a representative -- I will always get back to my people and I will always do what my people like, in terms of leading the people as a premier of Malaita Province", he said. The decision is at odds with his central government's position to cash in on China's ambitions in the South Pacific. Premier Suidani's rejection of China's aid offer was subsequently held over him when he required urgent funds for brain surgery which he ended up having to undertake in Taiwan.
The head of the most populous province in the Solomon Islands said the country would likely switch diplomatic ties back to Taiwan if the prime minister is ousted from his post following next week's no-confidence vote, after looting and violent protests shook the capital city last month. Daniel Suidani, the premier of Malaita, said Friday he thinks the Solomon Islands should partner with Taiwan because they share democratic values. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare angered many in 2019, particularly leaders of Malaita, when he cut the country's diplomatic ties with Taiwan to recognize China instead. Premier Suidani said the switch was done without adequately consulting the public.
The National Parliament building, a police station and businesses were set alight during two tumultuous days in which police failed to control a mob as it wrecked parts of the capital city. The dispute over the nation's foreign policy is just one of several issues on hand. Premier Suidani called for national dialogue to resolve the issues causing ongoing unrest in his country, and said the reasons for the violence are longstanding domestic issues over the economy and land rights, not foreign interference. He said that increasing corruption, unemployment and informal settlements, or slums, were among the major factors leading to the violence in recent days. He also accused the central government of blocking economic development in Malaita. He said he supports further protests on Monday but will encourage people to do it through "legal avenues".
In 2020, the USA government pledged a US$25-million aid package to Malaita, which has been viewed by some as an attempt to gain influence in the country. Premier Suidani, who was wearing a red T-shirt with a prominent USAID shirt logo on the front on Friday, said the package was a request from the Solomon Islands government. He denied receiving financial aid from Taiwan, though he said the province received COVID-19 protective gear and health equipment during the pandemic from Taiwan. If Malaita doesn't get its desired outcome in the no-confidence vote on Monday, the premier said, independence may be an option. "Malaita province and its people will have to look deeper to see whether staying with Solomon Islands is worthy of anything at all", he said.
Standing in the way of China
One island in the country -- and one man -- is saying no
by Nick Sas in Auki, Malaita, ABC News, July 11, 2022
There's an old bridge just outside the town of Auki in Solomon Islands. It's a one-lane rickety old-thing, well past its used by date, but it's critical infrastructure -- the only thing connecting north and south. There have long been plans for an upgrade and last year a company won a tender process to modernise it, with a proposal to expand it to two lanes. But for Daniel Suidani, the leader of the region where the bridge sits, there's a problem -- a big one. "The company was Chinese", he says. "We don't allow Chinese companies here".
Premier Suidani is a controversial figure in Solomon Islands. He's the leader of Malaita, the most populous province in the country; a long, unique and mysterious island about 100 kilometres north of the country's capital, Honiara. A former school teacher, Daniel Suidani is new to politics, only being elected to his post in 2019. In Solomon Islands politics, the premiers of its nine provinces, such as Daniel Suidani, are generally stunted by the central government in Honiara, which is led by Prime Minster Manasseh Sogavare and holds almost autonomous power. But Premier Suidani is pushing back in what one expert described as "an extreme example" of a grab for more self-determination. For most Malaitans, he's a hero -- a man standing up to China in a country that recently opened its arms to the Asian superpower. Yet, in the capital, the government considers him a troublemaker; a man stifling much-needed development and stoking long-held tensions in a country that's been simmering.
When asked to describe the reasons for his anti-China stance, Premier Suidani tries to stop himself from smiling. He has a long list. The first one is 'The Switch'. In 2019, the Solomon Islands government changed its allegiance from Taiwan to China. So Premier Suidani created "the Auki Communique", banning Chinese-backed investment in the province. He supports and recognises Taiwan. And there's more. He says infrastructure built by the Chinese "doesn't last". They use the "cheap stuff" -- he'd prefer Japanese, Australian or New Zealand companies. In 2019, Lowy Institute analysis found "evidence suggests that, if left alone, Chinese state firms will cut corners and inflate prices. If managed properly, they can deliver good quality infrastructure". Further, as a "Christian province" Mr Suidani says the "atheism" in China means they can't "walk together". And, once the Chinese come into a place, he says, Pacific countries don't have "the power" or "safeguards" to "look after ourselves". Then the Chinese "change the system".
But perhaps more potently, he says he's simply standing up for his people -- the proud people of Malaita. "We are a democracy in Malaita, we believe in the principles of democracy", Premier Suidani says. "They are a communist nation. We are very mindful of involving the Communist Party here. "They must not come, in any way"...
Since 'The Switch', tensions over Chinese influence in Solomon Islands have elevated. Experts say it does not have broad public support and many, including Premier Suidani, accused the Chinese of bribery. In November, angry mobs -- many from Malaita -- demanded Prime Minister Sogavare resign. He refused, and parts of the city's Chinatown were burnt to the ground, with buildings flying Taiwan flags spared... PM Sogavare saw it as direct violent uprising to depose him. Additional Australian forces were sent in to help keep the peace, and later Chinese forces arrived. Last week PM Sogavare announced the Chinese presence would be "permanent". Premier Suidani has been accused of stoking the fire and even having a direct role in the riots -- a fact he denies. "Governments should respond to people", he says. "If you continue to ignore the wants of the people, then you should expect something to happen."
In the months leading up to the riots Premier Suidana was in Taiwan getting medical treatment -- another issue that has infuriated both the Chinese and the Solomon Islands governments. He has continued diplomatic ties with Taiwan in spite of 'The Switch', and controversially accepted Taiwanese aid during the COVID pandemic. Others are concerned Mr Suidani's stance, which also includes a push for independence, will stoke long-held conflict in the country. In 1998, Solomon Islands descended into civil war known as 'The Tensions' -- an ethnic conflict between Malaitans and the Guadalcanal people, the island where Honiara sits. Australia sent in a security force known as RAMSI to quell the violence, with 7,200 soldiers and 1,700 Australian Federal Police officers doing time in the country over 14 years... Many citizens feel powerless about the decisions made in Honiara. The "real issue" on China concerns the national government pushing through 'The Switch' without any real consultation. The last election was held in April 2019, before the switch to China. The Sogavare government is attempting to push the next national election back a year to after the 2023 Pacific Games -- a move experts say has China's fingerprints all over it. "So there's been no chance for the general population to weigh in and say if the government is going in the right direction. This is allowing the conflict to simmer".
Speaking on Premier Suidani, Ms Ride says he had detractors, particularly in the government, but as far as she's aware the Prime Minster has never mentioned Premier Suidani's name in public. She says the Malaitan premier has "strong support" from his people, and even in other parts of Solomon Islands. "I travel around many provinces, and leaders say 'oh Suidani, he's a good man'", Ms Ride says. "So they know him, and the ideas he represents have popular support. "As a Premier, that's quite remarkable for Solomon Islands"...
In Malaita, those supporting China appear to be a small minority. The ABC spoke to dozens, and support for Premier Suidani's stance was almost universal. He says he has 80 per cent support across the island, but with its 200,000 inhabitants spread across some of the the most remote terrain in the world, that number is impossible to verify. And its not just the older generation throwing their weight behind the Premier... Malaita Youth Council president Phillip Subu, an aspiring politician himself, said Malaitans had a history of "resisting foreign infiltration". He said China's trade relationship with the country was welcome and integral, but he said the country's political system "wasn't ready" for 'The Switch'. "One of the main concerns is we don't have very strong laws to protect our people's interests", Mr Subu says. "Even now, they are exploiting our economic system, exploiting our resources. When you come to Malaita you will see that we are quite peaceful people, we are loving people. But if someone trespasses or steps over our land, we become very aggressive. And we shouldn't do something that spoils my land for future generations."... In Auki, and much of Malaita, Independence Day is a muted celebration. Premier Suidani, wearing a green Solomon Islands shirt during our interview, says he still believes in 'one Solomon Islands'". But his belief in "democracy" and "freedom" is just as strong. "We've been waiting a long time for development in Malaita," he says. "And we want leaders who can address these things, who can build up our nation. "But if the trend of how the government is addressing issues continues -- not listening to the will of the people -- I think this issue of self-determination, in places like Malaita, will continue. "No one wants to live under a government that doesn't care for people". The bridge is still out for tender.
Solomon Islands MP Peter Kenilorea Jr
wants to rip up the country's security pact with China
ABC News, July 13, 2022
Peter Kenilorea has vivid memories of an Australian film crew visiting his home to interview his family on Solomon Islands' first Independence Day in 1978. The prominent Solomon Islands politician was just five years old, and his father, also called Peter, was the country's prime minister when the British protectorate ended that year. He remembers the excitement of the film crew, and the enormity of the occasion....
Fast forward to 2022, and life in Solomon Islands is a little more complicated. The country is facing a range of challenges, from the economy to global scrutiny of its growing ties with China. MP Kenilorea said he was determined to honour his father's dying wish, that his eldest son would enter parliament and be a future leader. He said his father had a "massive" influence on him and his attitude towards public life. "I was always reminded by my father, that the office he holds is not his office, not the family's office, it's the nation's office", he said. Constituents regularly stayed over at the prime minister's residence when his father was in power, as they travelled from their province of Malaita to do business in the capital, Honiara. "All I knew growing up was living in a house that is always crowded and waking up with the curtains gone because somebody has used it as a blanket in the morning in the living room", he said. "That was what it was like being the son of a prime minister back then".
It seems inevitable he was destined for a life in politics. After 18 years working for the United Nations in New York, Peter Kenilorea Jr -- as he's come to be known -- returned home in 2017 and was elected to parliament in 2019. Now, many young people look to him as a future leader. "I really like him, he's a cool dude and he works well with people, but also with the community, the people that he represents", local filmmaker Neil Nuia said. "He's got a lot of admirable traits that we young people see in him. He turns up at our events. Well, that's cool".
Closer ties to Australia, scrap China security deal
MP Peter Kenilorea, 49, is now a key figure in the opposition United Party, which has formed a coalition in Solomon Islands politics. The current Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, has a strong grip on power with his coalition holding 38 seats of the 50-seat parliament. PM Sogavare will be seeking a fifth term, although it's still not clear when the election will be. The ABC tried mutiple avenues to speak to PM Sogavare in Honiara, but our interview requests were ignored. The Prime Minister is also trying to amend the country's constitution to push back the vote until after the 2023 Pacific Games, hosted by Honiara.
Even if MP Kenilorea's coalition wins more seats in the next election, there are likely to be a number of contenders for leader and he would need the support of his peers. He said the talk of him as a future leader was "humbling" and "flattering". Speaking to the ABC from opposition headquarters in Honiara, he said closer ties with Australia would be a top priority, should they win government at the next election. "Our relationship with Australia is one that I would like to really take up to the next level", he said. "It's quite rare to have a least developed country, low-income country -- two and a half hours away from Brisbane". He said the coalition would also scrap the country's controversial security partnership with China. "We don't need that security agreement"", he said. "And it's something that we see as being beneficial to China rather than it is to us".
But MP Kenilorea stopped short of committing to reversing the diplomatic switch from China back to Taiwan. "It's something we're considering and that'll be a process to do it when we do switch back", he said. "As we sit here now, there is a big pull to switch back for sure, that's something that we're hearing people telling us already".
China on minds of young people
MP Peter Kenilorea also wants to prioritise the country's youth, who are struggling with issues of unemployment and jobs -- a situation he said was "dire".... Young people are among the most eager to talk about the future of their country. Many told the ABC they are concerned about their country's deepening ties with China. Frustration spilled over last November, when riots in Honiara razed the local Chinatown. International police -- including from Australia -- were bought in to quell the unrest. "The initial peaceful protests that happened before the riots was really about the power that the provinces have, versus the national government over key decisions", said Dr Anouk Ride, affiliate researcher with the University of Melbourne. "When the national government changed bilateral relations from Taiwan to China, part of the resentment about that was the decision"...
A large sports precinct is being built in time for the 2023 Pacific Games, funded and built by China... But MP Kenilorea said questions remained about how the stadium would be looked after when the games were over. "Solomon Islanders love sport -- but in terms of the actual infrastructure, I think it's a bit of an overkill for us", he said. "We don't need those big stadiums, we don't need those pools. What will happen after the games is my big concern. The upkeep of those stadiums would be very difficult to maintain". The ABC has put in repeated requests for an interview with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. The ABC also requested an interview with the Youth Ministry. Solomon Islands is set to go to the polls next year, but the government has indicated it wants to extend the parliamentary term. Millicent Barty said she wanted change, and she hopes MP Kenilorea will be part of it. "A lot of young people, we love him", she said.
The Solomon Islands was rocked by two days of civil unrest over the country's switching of links from Taiwan to China... China has provided yet another cause for dissatisfaction among the ethnic majority, with PM Sogavare’s government supporting Beijing and Malaitian leaders supporting Taiwan. As per AP, critics have also blamed Chinese companies in the Solomon Islands for giving jobs to foreigners rather than locals... The foreign policy switch to Beijing was done with "little public consultation" and was one of a myriad of issues that led to the protests. "There were also complaints that foreign companies were not providing local jobs. Chinese businesses and other Asian businesses seem to have most of the work, especially when it comes to extracting resources, which people feel strongly about". Despite the protests, PM Sogavare on Friday reiterated his stance on embracing Beijing over Taiwan, and emphasising that the "only issue" in violence was "unfortunately influenced and encouraged by other powers"...
The leaders of Malaita, who had forged deep ties with Taipei, complained that their island had been unfairly treated and deprived of government investment since the shift of diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China, thus, fuelling protests demanding the resignation of PM Sogavare... Ethnic tensions between Guadalcanal and Malaita fuelled since late 1990 after natives of the Guadalcanal launched the campaign of violence and intimidation to drive the Malaitians off the island. In retaliation, Malaita formed a militia named Malaita Eagle Force to protect them in the conflict. This led the government to declare a four-month state of emergency in 1999. Ethnically divided law and order forced Guadalcanal to collapse. Later in 2000, the Malaitian militia kidnapped then PM Bartholomew Ulufa'alu, a Malaitian, accusing him of 'not doing enough' for the community. He resigned in exchange for freedom and Manasseh Sogavare began his first of four stints as an 'unstable' leader.
China says it will send troops to Solomon Islands to curb riots on Honiara's request
Republic World, December 24, 2021
As unrest in Solomon island continues to grow, China stepped in to tackle the situation and announced to send its soldiers to the riot-hit nation, Sputnik reported. During a regular press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian reiterated Beijing's commitment to solving the situation in the island nation. He said a group of police consultants and a consignment of equipment to assist police in the Solomon Islands will be sent in the next few days. However, he clarified it was the request of Honiara to send the Chinese police and not the initiative taken by the Communist government...
The protesters also demanded the stepping down of the incumbent Prime Minister of riot-hit Solomon Island, Manasseh Sogavare. However, he categorically refused to take care of the protestors' demands. He claimed that the violence that swept the capital city, Honiara, was staged by a few people with an "evil goal" to depose him. Further, the Beijing Foreign Ministry said, "Chinese goods and related personnel will arrive in the Solomon Islands shortly and will play a constructive role in enhancing the capacity of the Solomon Islands police force"....
China and Solomon Islands draft Secret Security Pact, raising alarm in the Pacific
The leaked agreement could help the Chinese Navy block shipping routes that played vital role in WWII
New York Times, Mar 25, 2022
A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II. The agreement, kept secret until now, was shared online Thursday night by opponents of the deal and verified as legitimate by the Australian government. Though it is marked as a draft and cites a need for "social order" as a justification for sending Chinese forces, it has set off alarms throughout the Pacific, where concerns about China's intentions have been growing for years. "This is deeply problematic for the United States and a real cause of concern for our allies and partnership", the Australia Center for Strategic and International Studies said Friday. "The establishment of a base in the Solomon Islands by a strategic adversary would significantly degrade Australia and New Zealand's security, increase the chances of local corruption and heighten the chances of resource exploitation". It is not clear which side initiated the agreement, but if signed, the deal would give Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands the ability to call on China for protection of his own government while granting China a base of operations between the United States and Australia that could be used to block shipping traffic across the South Pacific... The leaked document states that "Solomon Islands may, according to its own needs, request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces to Solomon Islands to assist in maintaining social order, protecting people's lives and property". It allows China to provide "assistance on other tasks" and requires secrecy, noting, "Neither party shall disclose the cooperation information to a third party"...
For Beijing, the deal could offer its own potential reward. "China may, according to its own needs and with the consent of Solomon Islands, make ship visits to, carry out logistical replenishment in and have stopover and transition in the Solomon Islands", the draft states. It also says the Solomons will provide "all necessary facilities". The Chinese Embassy in the Solomon Islands did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.... PM Sogavare has made no secret of his desire to draw China closer. In 2019, soon after he was elected, he announced that the island would end its 36-year diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own, in order to establish official ties with Beijing. He argued that Beijing would deliver the infrastructure and support that the country needed. The Sogavare government quickly signed agreements giving Chinese companies the right to build roads and bridges, and to reopen one of the country's gold mines. A Chinese company even tried to lease the entire island of Tulagi. That deal was eventually deemed illegal, after critics rose up in anger. Residents of Tulagi and Malaita, an island province where local leaders expressed strong opposition to China, have said that bribes are constantly being paid by proxies of Beijing with bags of cash and promises of kickbacks for senior leaders often made during all-expenses-paid trips to China.
Malaita's premier, Daniel Suidani -- who has banned Chinese companies from Malaita while accepting American aid -- said that the anger stemmed from "the national government's leadership". "They are provoking the people to do something that is not good", he said in November. MP Wale, the opposition leader, said he has encouraged the prime minister to negotiate with Malaita, with little success. "The political discourse over these things is nonexistent", he said, adding that the proposed agreement with China would make the relationship more volatile"....
Will Solomon Islands host China's next airbase?, National Interest, October 14, 2023
...Given the Solomon Islands' small size and low population count, Chinese engineering projects expanding the port or airstrip would not work because of the potential impacts on any individual island. If the Chinese build a base on the Solomon Islands, they will likely force the Solomon Islanders out of their homes. Even if they don't demolish villages, mass construction will destroy the only local source of income, logging. Even if the construction doesn't take up the entire island, it would be doubtful that the Chinese would want a logging company to operate close to their military bases. As a result, logging will likely stop, forcing the island's residents to go live elsewhere and possibly even trigger a second civil war...
Will the Solomon Islands host China's next Airbase?
(will demolish villages/destroy logging/trigger civil war)
National News, Oct 14, 2023
JFK SOLOMONS PROTEST RED CHINA
RED CHINA INVADING JFK'S SOLOMONS
watch Caroline re-lives JFK survival in Solomons
(incredibly emotional experience)
CAROLINE & JACK THANK JFK RESCUERS
watch JFK daughter & grandson swim Solomon swim
watch PT-109 SONG listen
Solomon Islands, August 1943-2023
JFK SOLOMONS PROTEST RED CHINA
KUMANA SON JFK's LETTER TO CAROLINE
JFK'S CAROLINE VISITING SOLOMON ISLANDS
(79 years after rescue of PT-109 crew)
JFK SAY KEVU SPOKE BRIT ENGLISH
KUMANA FAMILY KEEP JFK ALIVE IN MEMORY
(will Caroline visit JFK native scout rescuers?)
August 1-31, 1943-2022
watch Put the Lime in the Coconut by 5th Beatle listen
RED CHINA INVADING JFK'S SOLOMONS
(China leasing strategic island of Tulagi)
July 31, 2022
watch Pacific Capture: How Chinese money is buying the Solomons, ABC, August 1, 2022
Why has the Solomon Islands blocked foreign ships from entering its ports and is China behind it?, Independent, Aug 30, 2022
The Solomon Islands has moved to temporarily stop all foreign naval vessels from using its waters, apparently as part of a bid to shore up control over its exclusive economic zones. Manesseh Sogavare, prime minister of the South Pacific archipelago, said on Tuesday that the suspension would be in place until the adoption of a new approval process for ships seeking access to its ports was agreed in the wake of the Oliver Henry and HMS Spey -- vessels belonging to the US Coast Guard and Royal Navy respectively -- being turned away last week when they made refuelling requests.... USA State Department spokesman Ned Price likewise expressed unease at the prospect of China securing a foothold on the islands, the site of several thousand American deaths during the Guadalcanal campaign in the Second World War. PM Sogavare responded by insisting the deal was one "based on mutual respect for sovereignty and in compliance with domestic and international law" and that "we entered into an arrangement with China with our eyes wide open, guided by our national interests". When they sought permission to refuel last week, the Oliver Henry and HMS Spey had been on patrol for illegal fishing in the South Pacific, part of an initiative the USA announced in July to crack down on the practice and to push back against China's outsized and potentially malign influence... PM Sogavare also raised eyebrows earlier this month when he accused the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation of a "lack of ethics and professionalism" and reminded it that its duty is to "protect our people from lies and misinformation", a rebuke that his political opposition warned could lead to censorship and encroaching authoritarianism.
In Solomon Islands some wary of Beijing-backed Construction, VOA, August 11, 2022
On the main street of Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, the Chinese presence is noticeable -- some people on the street, some characters on the signs and at almost every cashier's counter. Locals say almost all of the grocery stores and convenience shops selling everything from snacks to electronics are owned by ethnic Chinese. In the city's Chinatown, where three people died during riots in November that many blamed on Chinese ties, the Chinese presence is almost inescapable. These days, some local residents are expressing dissatisfaction at what they see as China's takeover of the Solomon Islands' construction industry... In October 2019, the small but strategically important South Pacific island nation cut ties with Taiwan, established diplomatic relations with China, and signed agreements with China's Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure project that is planned to stretch from Asia to Europe...
Solomon Islands takes tighter control over state broadcaster, AP News, August 4, 2022
The government of the Solomon Islands has taken tighter control over the nation's state-owned broadcaster -- a move that opponents say is squarely aimed at controlling and censoring the news. The government said Friday that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, known as SIBC, would retain editorial control and that government officials would not censor or restrain the outlet. But earlier this week, the government had lashed out at the broacaster, accusing it of a "lack of ethics and professionalism" and saying the government has a duty to "protect our people from lies and misinformation" it said was propagated by the SIBC.... The government's move came at a politically tumultuous time in the Solomon Islands. There were riots in the capital of Honiara last November, followed by a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in December, which he survived. Then in April, PM Sogavare signed a security pact with China that has caused deep alarm in the Pacific and around the world. The SIBC has reported those developments and has included the views of Sogavare's opponents. The broadcaster, which began as the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Service, has been a fixture for 70 years in the Solomon Islands. Employing about 50 people and operating under the slogan "Voice of the nation", the broadcaster is the main source of radio and television news for the nation's 700,000 people and is listened to and watched from the capital to the smallest village. Opposition Leader Matthew Wale said Wednesday the delisting was a scheme orchestrated by PM Sogavare as "a clear attempt to directly control and censor the news content of SIBC". "This will hijack well-entrenched principles of law on defamation and freedom-of-speech, thus depriving the public using SIBC to freely express their views, or accessing information on government activities", Wale said....
Australians 'can go to hell': Solomons snub amid 'newfound love affair' with China (deny visas to aid workers), Sky News, July 22, 2022
The Solomon Islands has made its stance quite clear as it continues to snub Australia -- this time by refusing to allow Australian aid workers into the country, says Sky News host Chris Smith. "The issue of the Solomon Islands, and its newfound love affair with China, at the expense of their traditional ties with Australia, is a huge concern for the Albanese Government. Five Australian advisers are being denied visas by Honiara, despite the process of assistance from Australia being a long-held practice. At the same time -- they've granted entry, to at least 6 Chinese advisers -- so the Australians can go to hell but the Chinese can be allowed in. You can't read that in any other way than as a direct and disrespectful snub of a country, who has been responsible for the highest amount of financial aid received by the Solomon Islands, over many decades".
RED CHINA TERRORIZES KIWI PATRIOT
RED CHINA SHADOW LOOMS OVER AUSTRALIA
listen #64 JFK'S LAST PRESS CONFERENCE
listen JFK'S SECRET SOCIETY SPEECH
JFK ON COMMIE CONQUEST OF CHINA
JFK TRUTH & UNTRUTH and JFK ASSASSINATION PUZZLE PIECES
Jackie Jura
~ an independent researcher monitoring local, national and international events ~
email: orwelltoday@gmail.com
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