Police in Solomon Islands remain on special alert as negotiations continue between officials and gunmen who seized an empty passenger ship in Honaira at the weekend.
Police have not acted to retake the vessel while they are guarding two other ships which the gunmen reportedly threatened to seize.
The stand-off follows a controversy among Malaitan groups over last month's disappearence of a motorised canoe with eight people on board.
Police have said there is no truth to rumours that the bodies of four of the eight people had been found with signs of mutilation.
But the claims have sparked attacks on people from the Langalanga area, with three people allegedly beaten in Honiara and more than a hundred men in Auki trashing a building.
Reports from Honiara say the gunmen burnt a bus and five cars belonging to Langalanga people but police say they have no knowledge of that.
They say at least 20 people have been arrested since the weekend as criminals take advantage of the situation.
Meanwhile, sources within the shipping business say talks are underway with rival Malaitan groups to ensure goods can be transported to the Western Province.
Shipments were stopped because of the stand-off but businesses are confident services will return to normal.
