#warns #Pacific #Islands #fighting #coercive #regimes
A senior US diplomat warned the Pacific islands of a new struggle against violent power-hungry regimes on Sunday as she visited the Solomon Islands to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II.
As China’s military exercises around Taiwan and Russia bombs Ukraine, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman lashes out at a new generation of world leaders revitalizing “bankrupt” ideas about the use of force – without mentioning any countries.
At a dawn memorial service in the Solomon Islands, Sherman said “some around the world” have forgotten the cost of war or ignored the lessons of the past.
She lashed out at “leaders who believe that coercion, pressure and violence are tools that can be used with impunity,” but did not name names during her speech at the service.
The Battle of Guadalcanal was a turning point in World War II.
The brutal seven-month land, sea and air battle between Allied and Japanese forces killed tens of thousands of soldiers – mostly Japanese.
State Department No. 2 painted today’s situation as a faint echo of the struggle against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in the 1930-40s and urged the region to fight back.
“We remember how bankrupt, how empty such views were then and still are today,” she said.
“Today we find ourselves once again in a different kind of battle – a battle that will continue for some time to come.”
Sherman’s trip comes as the United States seeks to rebuild diplomatic ties in the Pacific, where China is growing stronger and democratic alliances have faltered.
– No-show of Sogavare –
Nowhere is America’s waning regional influence more evident than in the Solomon Islands.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s government recently signed a secret security pact with Beijing, restricting press freedom and proposing to postpone elections.
Sherman, again unnamed, told her hosts, “It’s up to us to decide if we want to continue having societies where people are free to express their opinions.”
It is time to decide “whether we want governments that are transparent and accountable to their people.”
Sogavare was supposed to attend the ceremony and appear on the program of events, but did not show up.
However, he later met Sherman for what she described as “far-reaching” talks.
Alongside warnings, Sherman said Washington wants to increase cooperation with “absolutely critical” Pacific island nations, including opening embassies in Tonga, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.
As part of the charm offensive, US President Joe Biden is expected to invite the heads of state and government of the Pacific Islands to a September summit in the White House.
Solomon Islands Police and Security Minister Anthony Veke welcomed what he called a US “re-engagement” with the country and region.
But he called on Washington to launch an “intensified effort” to remove unexploded World War II ordnance that continues to injure and kill Solomon Islanders to this day.
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