Fresh Kiwi troops arrive as under-fire PM takes up job

New Zealand soldiers will today help to guard the Solomon Islands Parliament amid fears of a fresh escalation of violence.

An extra 53 soldiers arrived in the capital, Honiara, late last night as scores of Chinese, who were targeted in last week's rioting, fled the country.

Prime Minister Snyder Rini, whose election victory sparked two days of rioting, is due to be officially sworn in this morning.

It is feared that could trigger more violence and an end to the uneasy calm of the past few days.

The New Zealand contingent left Christchurch yesterday afternoon on two C130 Hercules aircraft.

Lieutenant-Commander Andrew Lincoln said the New Zealand soldiers would patrol roads, diplomatic residences and, particularly, Parliament.

The new arrivals took the New Zealand presence to 125, he said. Honiara also has 67 New Zealand police.

Major Andrew Brown said the situation was calm, but "very volatile and could change at a moment's notice".

Also travelling were the Army's new Pingauer 6x6 light operational vehicles (LOV) - the first time the LOV has been used on an overseas operation since replacing the V8 Land Rover fleet.

Australia is also sending another platoon of soldiers to guard the airport, joining 300 already there.

Parliament opens today for the first time since post-election rioting.

Tensions have heightened once more, with an MP being one of 18 people arrested after allegedly breaching the dawn-to-dusk curfew.

The rioting mobs last week targeted Chinese-owned commercial properties, because enraged locals believed Chinese businessmen had bribed MPs to put Mr Rini into the Prime Minister's office.

About 150 Chinese were airlifted out of Honiara yesterday by the Beijing Government. They joined 90 others flown to Papua New Guinea on Saturday.

New Zealand's High Commissioner in the Solomons, Brian Sanders, said the next couple of weeks would be "politically challenging".

Opposition politicians intend putting a motion of no confidence in Mr Rini to force his resignation.

That is due on Wednesday and both sides claim they have the numbers to win the vote.