Arrests follow Honiara riot

Six suspects have been arrested by police in Solomon Islands in the wake of last Friday night’s rioting in the capital of Honiara. Police have since launched an operation to address the law and order situation. The riots were blamed on angry flood victims demanding monetary assistance from the government. They threatened to continue rioting and looting unless the government answered their needs. However, police reports suggest that the disturbances were instigated by others who were not necessarily victims of the flood, trying to take advantage of the flood victims’ situation by damaging and looting shops in eastern Honiara. A commercial building was burnt down in the wake of the overnight rioting that begun at 9pm. The situation has now been brought under control.