Border problems raise questions
p. 43 · Read in the full issue
Over the past few months the PNG Defence Force has made a number of raids into neighbouring Solomon Islands. In the most dramatic it set alight and destroyed a fuel dump near Kariki Village in the Shortland Islands and burnt a number of houses.
Solomon Islanders fishing in the border area have been hauled off for questioning and canoes fired apon. One such canoe was carrying medical supplies to Bougainville. In that incident one of the Bougainvilleans on board was killed.
The raids and the memory of incidents such as the St Valentine’s day massacre in which seven Bougainvilleans were executed by the
PNGDF, and their bodies dumped at sea, have created deep seated fear in the people of western Solomons.
The cross-border raids have added a new dimension to the Bougainville problem.
It is the first time since the Island nations gained their independence that one South Pacific Forum country has breached another’s sovereignty and threatened its citizens. 7o make matters worse it has happened between countries of very unequal sizes.
In the Solomon’s western provinces, the fact that Solomons has only a 60-member para-military field force to protect it,
is keenly felt.
The problem, however, is not just one of defending people and territory.
PNG accuses Solomons, whose people have strong tra ditional links with Bougainville, of allowing the secessionist Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) and its supporters to use its territory to wage war on PNG.
While the problems on the border are causing concern in both Port Moresby and Honiara they are also having repercussions further afield.
In 1990-’9l Australia spent a total ofS65 million on defence fid to PNG. 1 he fact that that figure was well up on earlier years was /ery much a result of the Bougainville dispute.
The vast bulk of Australia’s defence assistance is in training -vith the residue including infrastructure programs and
equipment support.
One of the principle aims of training has been to improve iiscipline in the PNGDF.
On the other side of the border, in Solomon Islands, Canberra s Defence Co-operation was worth more than S 5 nillion.
For Australia the cross-border raids highlight a number of ssues.
In particular, the ongoing doubt as to whether the PNGDF s under the control of the PNG government.
They also underline questions over the size and effectiveness >f Australia’s defence co-operation budget in PNG and about he extent to which the PNG government wants to stop the >order incursions.
Questions also need to be asked on the Solomons side of the >order.
Despite its annual $5 million in Defence Co-operation from Wstialia, Solomon Islands say it does not have the resources o police the border.
Australia
As part of a PNG/Solomons Memor andum of Understanding (MOU) signed a year ago Solomons promised to provide a patrol boat and crew to police the border and to establish a surveillance centre to liaise with a similar centre on the PNG side. The basic aim of the MOU was to limit BRA smuggling through the thousands of islands which make up Solomon’s border provinces.
Australia proviided 5 small fast patrol craft and fuel to help with the surveillance task but Solomon Islands has found it still does not have money to maintain its field force in the area.
Just recently the field force was again withdrawn from the border.
Whether it be inadequate or over-zealous, border surveil lance has the potential to gobble up vast sums of Australian taxpayers money without addressing the underlying problems which make it necessary.
While defence co-operation continues to pour into PNG, incidents which suggest the PNGDF is not under government control, such as the PNGDF landing of troops in central Bougainville some months ago, without government know ledge, are cause for concern.
The same could be said about PNG’s apparent reluctance to reprimand any of the officers involved in the raid on the Solomon’s fuel dump.
In Solomons little has been done in response to evidence of BRA smuggling.
Prime Minister Solomon Mamaloni even called off talks with his PNG counterpart on the border crossings just when they were most needed.
While growing anger at the raids may have played a part in Mamaloni’s decision not to talk to PNG, his failure to take phone calls from PNG Prime Minister Rabbie Namaliu or to respond to his offer of compensation for the Kariki raid are not likely to help the situation.
Somewhat idiosyncratically, Mamaloni has decided not talk to PNG until after the PNG general election later this month.
That decision has already resulted in the cancellation of spearhead talks and could affect PNG’s representation at this year’s South Pacific Forum, which is due to be held in Honiara in July.
While Mamaloni keeps his counsel the Solomon Islands Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, which is currently enquiring into Solomon’s foreign relations since independence, has sent three separate delegations to discuss foreign policy issues including Bougainville with South Pacific Forum nations and the Commonwealth Secretariat in London and Forum Secretariat in Suva.
In Honiaara, there have been periodic calls for Bougainville and its spill-over effects to be raised at the Forum meeting itself.
While that is unlikely to happen it is clear that the Bougainville dispute is becoming an issue which has impli cations for conflict resolution across the region.