Solomon Islands: Continuing civil unrest and the growing protests in the islands
In the news
On 26 November, the government in the Solomon Islands announced that the curfew in the capital - Honiara would continue indefinitely. Australian Defence Force (ADF) troops arrived in Honiara with the Royal Australian Navy patrolling boat HMAS Armidale to the island. Papua New Guinea also deployed a security team to the island. 

On 27 November, Fiji dispatched about 50 troops to reinforce the Australian Defence Force under their partnership. Three charred bodies were discovered in a store in the Chinatown district that led to more than 100 people being arrested.

On 1 December, New Zealand's government announced to send dozens of peacekeepers after the Solomon Islands sent a request for help. Earlier, On 24 November, the New Zealand government announced an immediate response to help restore peace and stability in the Solomon Islands. The announcement came after the government in the Solomon Islands requested assistance from New Zealand to maintain security in the capital. 

Issues at large
First, the internal divide within the Solomon Islands. In the 1990s, Malaitans were being intimidated, and a campaign of violence was perpetrated against them by the Guales or the Guadalcanal islanders. This led to Australia and New Zealand intervening during 2003-2017. These ethnic, geographical divides have been further accelerated by a perceived unequal distribution of resources that renewed discontentment between the islands. Malaita is one of the least developed provinces due to the lack of economic support. The discontent grew after the central government decided to shift the country's allegiance in 2019 from Taipei to Beijing.

Second, the external shift in allegiance. Taiwan accuses China of bribing politicians in the islands to vote in favour of China. China has been one of the largest investors in the islands and had even offered to lease Tulagi island. But, the attorney general of the Solomon Islands ruled the proceedings illegal. China signed five MoU's including an agreement to the Belt and Road initiative after the 36-year relationship with Taiwan. The shift away from Taiwan left the people angry, especially those on the Malaita island. Malaita's premier continued to maintain relations with Taiwan and receive support, while the central government reiterated its support to China. Manasseh Sogavare's election in 2019 opened up Chinese investments to the country, while till then, the people predominantly in Malaita had benefited from the Taiwanese projects. 

Third, Australia's intervention. Australia and the Solomon Islands have signed a security treaty in 2017 and had received a request for assistance under it. This treaty allows Australian police, civilian personal, and defence to intervene in the Solomon Islands in an emergency. This is not the first time Australia intervened in the Solomon Islands; the last was in 2003-2017, which was authorized by the Pacific Island Forum declaration. 

In perspective
First, the issues between the two islands need to be resolved systematically, implementing policies to bring equal resource-sharing support and mediation between the ethnic communities.

Second, Beijing and Taipei will continue to be contentious issues until the political parties on the island stop using it as an opportunity to win votes. This historical discontentment can only be partially resolved with structural changes in the administration of both islands. 

Third, the Prime Minister blames foreign influences to be the cause of unrest and protests but he reiterated his support for Beijing over Taiwan. This would likely further complicate the situation as Taiwan had integrated itself with a visible development program with the people of Malaita. Fourth, Australia's swift intervention has brought a sense of temporary order to the islands, but they hope that this would be a short intervention as the last time they spent more than a decade. 

China: 12 million missing children 
In the news
On 24 November, the Strait Times reported that the Chinese census failed to account for at least 11.6 million children born between 2000 and 2010. The gap in the number of births came to the forefront after the government released its latest statistical yearbook, which accounted for 172.5 million births in that decade. However, the 2010 census accounted for only 160.9 million births. The Politburo had earlier said: "Allowing every couple to have three children and implementing related support policies will help improve the population's structure." 

Issues at large
First, the case of 12 million missing children. The sudden increase in the birth rate in the 2010 census comes to light after parents enrolled their children in schools for primary education. Due to the one-child policy, that was in place from 1979 and lasted until 2015, most parents in the country refrained from documenting their children in the national registry for fear of persecution and punishment. Often, the second child would be left in rural villages with the grandparents for lack of facilities from the government.

Second, shifts in China's demographic policies. 12 million births went unnoticed in 2010 when Politburo continued to believe that the growth rate must be controlled. In 2016, the government realized the steady drop in population growth and raised the limit to two children per couple. In 2021, the government started providing many subsidies and assistance such as cash benefits, longer maternity and paternity leaves, child-rearing leaves from work and providing subsidies for the second and third child. Yet, these provisions are not attractive enough for the people at the moment.

Third, the impact of the one-child policy. The government implemented the policy as it feared that a population explosion would result in slower economic development and put a strain on the existing resources. However, the policy led to massive gender imbalance in Chinese society as most families with a patriarchal leaning opted to abort or abandon the female child. Another impact that will be apparent in the future is the shortage in the labour force. 

In perspective
First, China's failure to account for the 12 million children in the 2010 census is a big blow to the detail-oriented image of the Communist Party of China. The figure is not a minor and negligible number that can be pushed aside as human error. It will also raise questions on China's statistical capabilities.

Second, the additional 12 million children prove that the administration may only have a limited amount of control over policies such as childbirth. Despite the numerous subsidies and benefits, the country may face problems as it tries to raise its population growth in the 21st century.

Also from around the World
By Apoorva Sudhakar and Abigail Miriam Fernandez
 
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Peace and Conflict from Europe and the Americas
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