Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 12:58:25 -0500
Subject: M-G: Bougainville Update - 27/2/97


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>Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 18:06:41 +1100
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>From: Sasha Baer <sashab-AT-magna.com.au>
>Subject: Bougainville Update - 27/2/97
>
>Title -- 474 BOUGAINVILLE: Army to strike deal in Singapore
>Date -- 26 February 1997
>Byline -- Cletus Ngaffkin
>Origin -- Niuswire
>Source -- The National (PNG), 26/2/97
>Copyright -- The National
>Status -- Abridged
>-----------------
>
>ARMY TO STRIKE DEAL IN S'PORE
>Ijape: Sandline men
>won't go to B'ville
>
>By Cletus Ngaffkin
>
>PORT MORESBY: A high-level Papua New Guinea Defence Force delegation is
>currently in Singapore to finalise among other things the purchase of two
>helicopter gunships with the help of military consultancy firm Sandline
>International. 
>
>The delegation is led by Defence Force Commander, Brigadier-General Jerry
>Singirok, Colonel Fred Aikung (chief of logistics), Colonel Reginald Renagi
>(chief of planning) and Kaminiel Kaliop, Department of Defence acting first
>assistant secretary for finance..
>
>The Prime Minister's office confirmed yesterday that the military delegation
>is currently in Singapore to finalise details for the involvement of the
>military consultancy firm at a cost of A$36 million to train PNG soldiers on
>the helicopter gunships and in commando-style combat.
>
>Defence Minister Mathias Ijape also confirmed that the Sandline
>International personnel are currently training at Urimo training ground on
>the outskirts of Wewak town in East Sepik province since they arrived here
>four weeks ago.
>
>The Urimo training area is normally used by the 2RPIR unit based at Moem
>Barracks in Wewak.
>
>Mr Ijape stressed that the Sandline International men will not be sent to
>the frontline on Bougainville but remain as consultants and trainers.
>
>Sandline International is a subsidiary of Executive Outcomes which conducts
>extensive security operations in Africa.
>
>From 1989 to 1991, a Singaporean-based company specialising in military
>training and equipment, Defence System Ltd (DSL), approached the PNG
>government with an offer to train Defence Force personnel in commando-type
>operations and provide military equipment as well.
>
>DSL employs former British Special Services (commandos) personnel.
>
>However, both the offers made by DSL to the Defence and Police forces were
>declined by the government on the advice of the military intelligence and
>hierarchy.
>
>The government then engaged Sandline International to provide training to
>PNGDF personnel.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Title -- 472 BOUGAINVILLE:  Hired guns 'won't go to frontline'
>Date -- 26 February 1997
>Byline -- Peter Niesi and news agencies
>Origin -- Niuswire
>Source -- Post-Courier (PNG), 26/2./97
>Copyright -- Post-Courier
>Status -- Unabridged
>-------------------
>
>HIRED GUNS 'WON'T GO TO FRONTLINE'
>
>By Peter Niesi and news agencies
>
>THE CONTROVERSIAL London-based Sandline International "mercenaries" will not
>be sent to the frontline on Bougainville, Papua New Guinean government
>leaders said yesterday.
>
>Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan and Defence Minister Mathias Ijape separetely
>maintained that the company's "advisers" would not be in the frontline, but
>rather to "guide operations".
>
>They kept to their stance that there was no element of "mercenaries" going
>into assassinate hardline rebel leaders as asserted in the Australian media
>report that began the furore.
>
>Minister Ijape said in a press statement supporting the prime minister that
>the Sandline staff would stay as "consultants and trainers".
>
>The firestorm of allegations and denial gathered strength yesterday. Among
>the developments:
>
>* AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister John Howard appeared to reject the PNG denial of
>a planned mercenary strike.
>
>* OROGEN Minerals' share price fell 13 cents to $A3.18 yesterday as
>controversy grew over a letter published in the Post-Courier which appeared
>to show a link between the Sandline conract and a payment of K33.6 million
>from government funds raised from the Orogen share float. Orogen distanced
>itself from government actions.
>
>* AMNESTY International clamed PNG soldiers killed at least 44 people
>unlawfully on Bougainville last year.
>
>* NEW ZEALAND Prime Minister Jim Bolger joined Australia in opposing the use
>of mercenaries on Bougainville.
>
>* OPPOSITION Leader Roy Yaki urged Sir Julius to explain the purpose and
>relevance of engaging Sandlines. If the "mercenaries" were brought in for
>training purposes, he supported it in principle.
>
>* BOUGAINVILLE Regional MP John Momis accused the prime minister of being a
>hypocrite for publicly advocating a peace strategy while, in private,
>committing to a military strategy.
>
>Earlier yesterday, Minister Ijape said Sandline was "an international
>recognised company dealing in training and military equipment".
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>PNG'S BRITISH FORCES We're just doing a job, says Sandline
>=========================================================>
>Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday, February 27, 1997
>--------------------------------------------------
>
>Mercenaries? Not us, says Sandline International, the controversial firm
>hired by Papua New Guinea. Herald Correspondent CHRISTOPHER HENNING reports.
>
>London: One floor up from London's choked traffic in Kings Road, Chelsea,
>all is calm in the glass-walled
>headquarters of Sandline International.
>
>Smooth-talking executives of the company which has contracted with the Papua
>New Guinea Government to supply training and mercenaries for its armed
>forces use the soothing jargon of the consultant: military training, for
>example, is "enhancing the skill-set".
>
>This is not warfare, it is security. This is not soldiering, it is business.
>
>Sandline's spokesman - he won't be named - speaks the language of the free
>market with accomplished ease. He believes there is a prejudice against the
>involvement of business in civil war.
>
>"I suspect a lot of this hoo-ha would not have arisen if the people who are
>running the training were still in the uniform of a national army," he said.
>"It's Sandline equals mercenaries, mercenaries equals dogs of war, dogs of
>war equals bad things."
>
>"Mercenaries" is not an appropriate term for the security services Sandline
>provides, he maintains. "It's a team of some of the best-trained personnel
>in the world who work in a directed way, who have transported the
>disciplines from their army career into the private sector.
>
>"It's a mirror image of what can be provided by the public sector. All
>Sandline is doing is filling a void in the market to meet the needs of a
>client."
>
>So what is Sandline contracted to do in Bougainville?
>
>"It's not Bougainville specifically. It's a contract to provide strategic
>advice and training to enhance the skill-set of the PNG armed forces. The
>specific locations of personnel can't be disclosed for security reasons." 
>
>Sandline was acting as middleman in gathering a team of people to perform
>the tasks the PNG Government
>wanted done, he said. That was where Executive Outcomes, the group which has
>been mentioned in relation to Bougainville, came in.
>
>"A number of companies can provide resources, equipment and so on to meet
>the needs of government and commercial organisations," the Sandline man said.
>
>"Like many of them, we don't keep 200 to 300 people out in a waiting room.
>We have access to people. We can put together a team of appropriate
>personnel. In this case, part of that team is sourced from South Africa, and
>the best intermediary to source those people is Executive Outcomes."
>
>Asked about Australian Government criticism of PNG's use of hired foreign
>forces in Bougainville, he sidesteps. 
>
>"That is their assessment of Sandline's reasons for being there. I don't
>want to comment on politics or inter-governmental relations. We are a
>contractor to a Government that is the internationally recognised and
>democratically elected Government of PNG and has the right to determine what
>is necessary for its internal needs.
>
>"This conflict has been going on for eight or nine years, and the Government
>is keen to settle it through negotiated settlement. There are hostages at
>stake, as well as the lives of the people on the island.
>
>"What Sandline is doing is improving the skills of their army because they
>want to have the armed force capable of resolving matters if that can't be
>resolved in other ways. The objective of the Government is clearly negotiation.
>
>"A conflict like this can't be allowed to go on forever, and the Government
>must look at options. If you only looked at one option and that didn't work,
>what would you do?"
>
>According to Mr David Shearer, of the International Institute for Strategic
>Studies, Executive Outcomes has an impressive recored.
>
>"Most of those guys have 12 to 15 years' combat experience in
>counter-insurgency operations, and most armies would not have that," he said.
>
>"If they go in there, they will win."
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Contact Details:
>===============>
>Vikki John (BFM)     +61-2-9558-2730   email: V.john-AT-uts.edu.au
>Moses Havini (BIG)   +61-2-9804-7632
>Max Watts            +61-2-9818-2343   email: MWATTS-AT-fisher.biz.usyd.edu.au
>(Journalist specialising in Bougainville, East Timor and West Papua issues)
>
>Bougainville Freedom Movement
>P.O. Box 134, Erskineville, NSW 2043, Australia
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Regards Sasha
>
>Sasha Baer
>International Amateur Radio Network
>Bougainville Freedom Movement
>Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol
>Mobile:    +61-0419-433-702
>sashab-AT-magna.com.au
>http://www.magna.com.au/~sashab/
>
>
>



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