The bodies of three people killed in the unrest in the Solomon Islands were found in a burnt-out building in the capital Hon’ble on Saturday (November 27), police said.

The bodies were found burnt at a shop in Hon’ble Chinatown. A security agent told Agence France-Presse that bodies had been found in two burnt rooms on Friday evening.

Since the riots began last Wednesday, an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of death of the three people who died.

On Saturday morning, the streets of the capital were relatively quiet, with residents trying to assess the damage caused by the riots.

Curfew and patrol

A curfew was imposed Friday night in the Solomon Islands capital, Hon’ble, as the prime minister’s home was threatened, buildings burned and shops looted on the third day of riots.

Australian police and soldiers, who arrived immediately, patrolled the streets of Hon’ble to restore order, protect some buildings and carry more weapons.

Riots erupted on Wednesday as hundreds of people staged a protest demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manasseh Sokavare before heading to Honidora’s Chinatown, a population of 80,000.

There are many reasons for these riots, including anger over the government, worsening economic problems caused by the Govt-19 epidemic, and historic rivalry between residents of the country’s most populous islands, Malta and Guadalcanal. The administrative capital of the archipelago is home to a population of 700,000.

Residents of the island of Malta feel abandoned by the central government, and controversy escalated in 2019 when the government of Sokawa decided to diplomatically recognize China other than Taiwan.

Beijing has vowed to condemn the riots on Friday “To ensure the security and rights and interests of Chinese citizens and companies”.