Courts Will Decide If Politicians Were Behind Solomon Riots

CANBERRA - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says it's up to the courts to decide if Solomon Islands politicians were behind violent riots in Honiara.

One opposition MP, Nelson Ne'e, was charged overnight with threatening and intimidating behaviour relating to last week's unrest, which police say may have been politically organised.

Another opposition MP, Patrick Vahoe, is on bail after being charged with breaking the curfew imposed in the wake of the riots, and Australian officers last night raided a Honiara hotel reportedly seeking newly elected opposition MP Charles Dausabea, but he was not there.

Mr Downer, who visited Honiara on Saturday and warned the country's leaders to stamp out corruption, said he had to be careful what he said publicly on the issue.

"Saying too much publicly could only inflame the situation," he told ABC Radio.

"Obviously the police are now going around and getting witness statements and assembling evidence about who was responsible for the violence.

"Quite a number of people have now been arrested and charged by the police for their association with or alleged association with that violence.

"That's the right thing for the police to do."

Up to 80 per cent of Honiara's Chinatown was destroyed when rioters and looters rampaged through the town following the surprise election of Snyder Rini as prime minister.

He was elected despite corruption allegations - claims he denies.

Mr Downer said allegations that some Solomon Islands politicians were involved in organising the violence would be tested through the country's courts in coming months.

"To get into alleging that this person and that person has been involved at the political level is wrong," he said.

Mr Downer also defended the achievements of the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands in recent years.

"This (rioting) obviously has been a setback but the fact is a tremendous amount of progress has been made," he said.

"Having said that, it also must be admitted there's a long way to go and we're just going to persevere with it.

"Ultimately, the responsibility for the destiny of the Solomon Islands rests with the Solomon Islands people.

"We don't run the Solomon Islands, we are assisting them.