Daniel Suidani’s arrest in the Solomons proves CCP is scared
At the start of this month, both Suidani and Talifilu were arrested on three counts of unlawful assembly related to the failed no confidence vote of 2021.
At the start of this month, both Suidani and Talifilu were arrested on three counts of unlawful assembly related to the failed no confidence vote of 2021.
Since 2019, Beijing has spent a considerable amount of money and effort setting up its position in the Solomon Islands and openly assisting in the crushing of dissent.
‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans.
Three things are going on that could turbo charge Chinese strategic expansion in the Pacific. U.S. DEFENCE ARCHITECTURE IN THE PACIFIC The first two involve what are known as the “Compact States”....
PM Sogavare avoided meeting a US Congressional Delegation that was visiting the country. Not a single government minister met the two Members of Congress during their time in the capital, Honiara.
Daniel Suidani became a symbol of resistance to China’s influence in Solomon Islands – until he was ousted from his post.
Honduras has said it intends to shift diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. We know this story: with the exception of 2007, when St. Lucia switched from Beijing to Taipei, the trend has run in this...
Outgoing President David Panuelo released a lengthy letter detailing Beijing’s efforts to bribe and bully Micronesian leaders – and exploring the possibility of recognizing Taiwan instead.
Leaders who are standing up to China are deeply shaken by what happened to Suidani and the resounding quiet from the international community that claims to back democracy. Koror, Palau: If you thought...
I believe that there are people in other countries who believe in democracy—who would stand with us, says Malaita’s ousted Premier Daniel Suidani.
PRC-linked actors attempting to politically take out Premier Daniel Suidani of Malaita.
One of the most important external examples of the potential for India’s realignment of global leadership will be PM Modi’s ground-breaking trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG), reported to take place in the first half of 2023.
The last two weeks have seen some of the most frantic US activity related to the Pacific Islands since the end of World War II. A lot happened. It’s like a plane suddenly dropped a cargo of randomly-sized boulders into a lake with varied depths. Some initiatives will sink, others may become essential islands of security in rough weather, some might inadvertently hit and sink the boats of allies.
Excerpt Last week dignitaries, including US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, gathered for a dawn ceremony on Bloody Ridge in Solomon Islands to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the start of...
Sogavare has introduced a Bill to postpone elections. Reaction on the ground is seething. Likely Sogavare and his backers in Beijing don’t mind violence so they can activate the China security deal.
Fiji’s capital Suva is turning into Vienna in the 1930s, when ‘diplomats’ from around the world spied on each other and sent cables home about who was sleeping with whom. Meanwhile, across the border, the war machine was roaring into life.
The United States needs an engagement policy with the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) that is Flexible, Appropriate, Coordinated and Effective (FACE). FLEXIBLE It needs to show flexibility when working...
We’ve seen Chinese entropic warfare in various stages in Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. And the contagion seems to be spreading in the Pacific.
Alexandria, VA: India makes China nervous in ways none of the other Quad countries do. So it’s not surprising that, according to sources, the Solomon Islands government is stalling the entry of the Indian...