VZCZCXRO5914
OO RUEHPB
DE RUEHPB #0169 1080618
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 180618Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4414
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0770
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0139
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0172
RHMFISS/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 1782

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT MORESBY 000169 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EAP/ANP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  4/18/2016 
TAGS: PGOV INR CASC BP
SUBJECT: POLITICAL RIOT IN SOLOMON ISLANDS 
 
REF: REF A.) PORT MORESBY 162 B.) PORT MORESBY 154 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Robert Fitts, Ambassador, AMB, STATE. 
REASON: 1.4 (b) 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: A riot has been instigated in Honiara by the 
losing side following the selection of a new prime minister. 
Youths have burned vehicles around parliament and have moved 
into the downtown area, attempting to trash businesses with 
Taiwanese affiliations. Police are now moving in. We have no 
reports of injuries as yet. Embassy is alerting the American 
community through our warden system. End Summary. 
 
2.(SBU) On April 18, the newly elected Solomon Islands 
parliament voted in a coalition government with Snyder Rini, a 
former DPM, as Prime Minister. One of the losers with 
pretensions to the top job, Charles Dausebea, reacted angrily. 
His supporters reportedly stoned a car bearing the new Prime 
Minister and began burning vehicles, including police vehicles 
around Parliament. They then moved downtown and began attacking 
Chinese businesses affiliated with Taiwan. 
 
3.(C) Dausebea (ref B) was a leader of a militia that ousted an 
earlier government and touched off ethnic violence that brought 
Solomon Island government to a standstill and eventually led to 
a large-scale Australian led police assistance mission (RAMSI). 
For those actions, Dausebea is permanently barred from the U.S. 
The coalition which emerged from the election is a reformulation 
of the earlier government and has long received quiet assistance 
from Taiwan. We have reports that Beijing had provided 
assistance to Dausebea, presumably as a route to overturning 
Solomon Islands' recognition of Taiwan. 
 
4.(SBU) As of 1700 local time (0500 GMT) police were moving in 
to control the situation.  Observers noted that there were still 
numerous fires from burning cars in the area of Parliament with 
occasional explosions as gas tanks burst. We have had no reports 
of injuries or of affected Americans.  Post is coordinating with 
the Department to issue an immediate warden notice. 
 
5.(C) COMMENT: The police force has been rebuilt and reinforced 
with several hundred Australian/New Zealand officers under 
RAMSI. Though the situation seems fluid, our contacts expect 
that the situation will shortly be brought under control. 
Embassy will monitor the situation and report developments. 
 
6.(C) Ethnic tensions and political rivalries have been largely 
quiescent since the July 2003 arrival of RAMSI. Though RAMSI has 
been hugely supported by the populace, some politicians do not 
welcome the perceived interference. Dausebea openly campaigned 
to lessen RAMSI's role. With three ministers from the former 
government now in jail or facing charges, RAMSI may now have to 
contend with an erosion of support from the political elite. 
 
FITTS