People vs CCP: Suidani and Talifilu Fight the Good Fight

Fight for their families, faith, freedom—the things that make us human, and that build community. Beijing is terrified more people will understand that.

- Cleo Paskal Washington, DC

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wants you to think this story is about them and their power, but it's not. It's about something more important than the CCP will ever be: people of courage and principle coming together to fight. Fight for their families, faith, freedom—the things that make us human, and that build community. Beijing is terrified more people will understand that. So, let's understand it.

Background

In 2019, the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, a country of around 800,000 people off the northeast coast of Australia, unilaterally switched the country's recognition from Taiwan to China. As a result, we saw what China did from a near-standing start in a country with a compliant national government. It didn't take long for a China-directed rampage through the country's economy, society and politics.

This is an old story. And a predictable one. What Beijing didn't account for was the resistance. While many in the country objected to what was going on, two in particular stood out.

Daniel Suidani, a former schoolteacher, had just been elected to the legislature in the province of Malaita, and became premier.

Celsus Talifilu was a policy coordinator for the office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time of the switch. The switch so concerned him that he quit national politics and moved to Malaita to support Suidani's provincial government.

What they, along with the legislature of Malaita and the province's traditional chiefs did next was what changed Beijing's predictable script.

Defence Against the CCP

The Malaita Province Government (MPG) issued the Auki Communique—named for the capital of Malaita. It announced: "MPG strongly resolves to put in place a Moratorium on Business Licenses to new investors connected directly or indirectly with the Chinese Communist Party."