The Solomon Islands’ decision to switch its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing has been blamed for arson and looting in the national capital Honiara, where protesters are demanding the prime minister’s resignation. Australian police, troops, and diplomats are helping local police restore peace and order while trying to keep out of the domestic political dispute. Here’s a look at some of the reasons behind the turmoil: Ethnic Tensions Open Old Wounds The Solomon Islands are famous as a battleground of World War II, the pivotal Battle of Guadalcanal named after the country’s largest island where the restive capital Honiara is located. It was then known as the British Solomon Islands Protectorate and became the Solomon Islands before independence in 1978. The South Pacific nation of 700,000 people — mostly Melanesian but also Polynesian, Micronesian, Chinese, and European — is, like neighboring Australia and New Zealand, a constitutional monarchy with …