Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 10:29:27 -0500
From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki)
Subject: M-G: Bougainville Update - 28/3/97 Part 3


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>Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 18:56:37 +1000
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>From: Sasha Baer <sashab-AT-magna.com.au>
>Subject: Bougainville Update - 28/3/97 Part 3
>
>Thwarted veterans of Angola's jungles 
>====================================>
>The Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday, March 27, 1997
>---------------------------------------------------
>
>By GEOFF PARISH, Herald Correspondent in Johannesburg
>
>The mercenary company Executive Outcomes believes there was an elaborate
>plan hatched by elements of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force to
>"neutralise" the mercenaries, and that the former PNG Defence Force chief,
>Brigadier-General Jerry Singirok, may have been "got at" by supporters of
>the Bougainville rebels. Mr Lafras Luitingh, the deputy chairman of
>Executive Outcomes, which was subcontracted by the British company Sandline
>International, spent almost eight years with South African military special
>forces in Angola.
>
>When he left the army he was recruited to an administrative position in the
>Civil Co-operation Bureau, a covert unit set up under the previous
>government. The bureau was responsible for a host of dirty tricks, and
>suspected of carrying out the assassination of anti-apartheid activists.
>
>In an interview with the Herald, Mr Luitingh said he was deeply disappointed
>that his men had been expelled from PNG. "I am bitterly sorry this has
>happened. This is not what we wanted to happen - we wanted to solve the
>[Bougainville] problem, but we were outclassed by somebody.
>
>"We went to try and achieve something for that country which we didn't
>achieve, so yeah, we feel like we've let them down - but it is the politics
>that eventually got in the way of us solving the problem."
>
>Executive Outcomes can call on more than 2,000 former soldiers, but just 60
>flew to Port Moresby, carrying backpacks and sleeping bags. 
>
>Before they arrived, Executive Outcomes had supplied Sandline a list of
>equipment needed, everything from small arms to helicopters. The list was
>delivered to the PNG Government which, according to Mr Luitingh, then bought
>the equipment "probably from an arms dealer". 
>
>He said other organisations were also subcontracted for the operation, but
>declined to name them.
>
>Executive Outcomes then began training the PNG Defence Force in the use of
>the equipment. According to Mr Luitingh, General Singirok - who was sacked
>after challenging the hiring of the mercenaries - approved the training plan
>and the movement of men and materiel to Wewak to continue training and to
>plan for the offensive on Bougainville. 
>
>But would Executive Outcomes have joined the PNG Army in battle against the
>Bougainville Revolutionary Army? 
>
>Mr Luitingh said his men were never meant to fight but were there to provide
>training. And when they give training "they are in the operational area all
>the time". That would put his men a "tactical step" behind the PNG soldiers.
>"This can be one metre or 1 kilometres, depending on the situation."
>
>The PNG Government's contract with Sandline International states, in part,
>that the mercenaries will "conduct offensive operations in Bougainville with
>the PNG defence forces to render the Bougainville Revolutionary Army
>ineffective and repossess the Panguna mine" - and that could only mean
>fighting in the front line. Mr Luitingh denied this, though he conceded that
>in the past his men had struck first at the enemy: "If we are under a
>difficult situation and somebody is out to kill us, then we will do a
>pre-emptive strike".
>
>As it turned out, Executive Outcomes never had to make those sort of
>decisions in PNG. As the drama unfolded last week, this elite unit of
>military fighters, drawn from former crack battalions of the South African
>Army, and even the African National Congress's military wing, ended up under
>house arrest. Mr Luitingh believes his men were the victims of an elaborate
>plan hatched by elements of the PNG Defence Force.
>
>As the crisis unfolded, three of the key "command and control" Executive
>Outcomes people in Port Moresby were separated from the others and taken to
>a navy vessel anchored off the coast. They were held incommunicado overnight
>before being returned to shore the next day, and taken to a barracks in the
>capital. The men were not arrested, but simply asked to remain at the barracks.
>
>Meanwhile, in Wewak, the remainder of the force were asked to hand over
>their weapons and to stay in their houses until the situation was resolved.
>Mr Luitingh said his men were caught by surprise, and that until then their
>relationship with PNG soldiers was excellent. "Co-operation was extremely
>good, everything was working perfectly, everything was going according to 
plan."
>
>So what went wrong? Mr Luitingh was suspicious of the role of General
>Singirok. "He was part of the planning from day one, so when and where he
>turned and who turned him I don't know ... So maybe that is something
>Singirok would be able to answer to you, why he changed his mind." 
>
>He said Sir Julius Chan should be complemented for taking decisive action to
>solve the Bougainville problem, but he believed that BRA supporters did not
>want a solution. "Maybe this is why the whole Singirok thing developed -
>maybe he was gotten to and told "listen, you can't do this - let's do
>something to keep the situation unstable'."
>
>Mr Luitingh has no doubts his men could have carried out their mission. He
>is not one for negotiation or political compromise. All that was needed was
>for the PNG Defence Force to give the BRA a "hiding" and "to be taught a
>lesson that they must operate within the law", but at the moment they
>thought "the gun is the tool for negotiation, and that is wrong".
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Chan stands aside to defuse crisis
>=================================>
>The Australian, March 27, 1997
>------------------------------
>
>By South Pacific correspondent MARY-LOUISE O'CALLAGHAN 
>
>MARCH 27: The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan, stood down
>over the controversial Sandline mercenary affair yesterday, bringing to an
>end the country's tense, 10-day military crisis.
>
>As Papua New Guineans danced in the streets, Sir Julius said a caretaker
>prime minister would be appointed by his cabinet to run the Government until
>the country's national elections, which are scheduled for mid-June.
>
>"I am one of the founders of this nation and I will never allow anything to
>spoil the institutions I have made, so in the interest . . . of good and
>order, to defuse something that is a little bit of explosive outside, I . .
>. myself will step aside," he said.
>
>Sir Julius admitted he may not have done things properly with the Sandline
>contract which hired foreign mercenaries to launch an offensive against
>secessionist rebels on PNG's Bougainville.
>
>"In my zeal to work hard . . . I may have not been doing things properly, in
>line with the thinking of the people," he said.
>
>Mr Chan's decision was greeted with relief by Australia which has been
>pushing for a solution to the crisis in accord with the country's constitution.
>
>The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Downer, said last night Sir Julius's
>actions showed the constitution was working.
>
>Civilians and troops surrounding Port Moresby's National Parliament let
>loose a resounding cheer of victory which could be heard on the floor of the
>house when Sir Julius finally announced that he and two of his ministers,
>Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mr Chris Haiveta, and Defence
>Minister Mr Mathais Ijape, would stand down. Later, the troops returned to
>their barracks after two days of protest outside Parliament House.
>
>At PNG Defence Force headquarters, Murray Barracks, grinning soldiers gave
>victory signs and fired M16s into the air most of the afternoon. On Tuesday
>night about 50 armed troops had seized control of the parliament house gates
>and refused to allow most government ministers and MPs to go home.
>
>Former commander Brigadier-General Jerry Singirok, who was sacked 10 days
>ago by Sir Julius when he went public with his concerns over the $46 million
>Sandline contract and called on the prime minister and the two ministers to
>resign, claimed victory but yesterday praised Sir Julius for his "brave"
>action in standing down.
>
>"It is a win-win situation. I am not a hero. Everyone in Papua new Guinea
>who supported me is a hero," he said. 
>
>Brigadier Singirok said details of an agreement for immunity for all troops
>involved in the operation to oust 70 Sandline operatives from the country,
>and Sir Julius from the parliament, were still being sorted out.
>
>But he said there was an understanding that the army, through its lawyer, Mr
>Peter Donighi, would have some input into new or extended terms of reference
>for the commission of inquiry established by Sir Julius last week.
>
>Sir Julius said he would also recommend to the Electoral Commission that the
>elections be brought forward from June 14 but the final decision would be
>left with the commission. Neither Mr Haiveta, who signed the Sandline
>contract, or Mr Ijape, who sponsored it, appeared in parliament yesterday or
>were available for comment.
>
>Earlier, Governor-General Sir Wiwa Korowi called on the troops surrounding
>Parliament House to return to barracks.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Chan quits: 'I hear the call'
>============================>
>The Age, 27 March 1997 
>----------------------
>
>By LINDSAY MURDOCH,
>Port Moresby, Wednesday
>
>Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan, announced today that he
>would step aside and appoint a caretaker government to avoid what he called
>an explosive situation facing the country after 10 days of upheaval.
>
>The decision came after a siege of Parliament by rebel soldiers who held
>more than 80 politicians, including most of the Cabinet, under house arrest
>for almost 20 hours. 
>
>Thousands of protesters and soldiers erupted when they heard the decision,
>dancing on the spot, hugging each other and cheering. They hoisted soldiers
>on to their shoulders, chanting ``Defence, defence, defence''.
>
>Sir Julius told Parliament that Cabinet would appoint a caretaker leader to
>take the Government into fresh elections scheduled for mid-June.
>
>``I have made up my mind and I will step aside for the good of Papua New
>Guinea,'' Sir Julius said.
>
>``I must now take account of some of the pain and trouble and security that
>has happened in the past week,'' he said.
>
>Sir Julius urged Papua New Guineans to ``return to their normal lives'' as
>quickly as possible. 
>
>The announcement followed a meeting Sir Julius had at 2pm today with a
>military strongman, Major Walter Enuma, who has led troops loyal to the
>sacked military commander Brigadier-General Jerry Singirok.
>
>Major Enuma is understood to have reiterated the military's demands, but Sir
>Julius said later his decision was not made under duress.
>
>Major Enuma earlier failed to persuade more than 100 rebel soldiers to
>return to their barracks and allow the MPs to leave Parliament House.
>
>Sir Julius claimed he made the decision to step down before Opposition Mps
>yesterday put two motions in Parliament calling on him to leave office
>immediately.
>
>``I have satisified myself that we have preserved the supremacy of
>Parliament,'' he said.
>
>Sir Julius also asked his deputy, Mr Chris Haiveta, and the Minister for
>Defence, Mr Mathias Ijape, to step aside.
>
>The three men are set to be key witnesses at an inquiry next week into the
>Government's $46million contract to hire the mercenary company Sandline
>International.
>
>General Singirok said tonight that he did not want people to see him as a
>hero. ``I saw what the Government was trying to do was a major, major
>disaster in the history of our nation,'' General Singirok said.
>
>``As a responsible commander I did what I did.''
>
>The caretaker leader will be under enormous pressure to widen the terms of
>reference of the Sandline inquiry, which Sir Julius insisted be completed
>within two weeks.
>
>General Singirok had claimed it was improper for Sir Julius, Mr Haiveta and
>Mr Ijape to remain in office while an inquiry investigated matters in which
>they were implicated.
>
>Opposition politicians and community group leaders tonight welcomed Sir
>Julius's decision, which they said would defuse the crisis that has gripped
>the country since General Singirok last week called on Sir Julius to resign
>over the Sandline deal. 
>
>The Opposition Leader, Mr Roy Yaki, praised Sir Julius for his decision,
>saying that although hard to make, it was vital to restore peace and harmony
>throughout the country.
>
>Only the massing of police and security forces on the streets of Port
>Moresby yesterday and today stopped a repeat of last week's looting and
>rioting. Police chiefs said they would not have been able to keep a lid on
>security much longer. Schools, businesses and government offices are
>expected to return to normal trading hours tomorrow.
>
>Among the possible candidates to replace Sir Julius are the deputy of his
>People's Progress Party, Sir Albert Kipalan, and the Foreign Minister, Mr
>Kilroy Genia.
>
>Sir Julius has made it clear that leaders of the caretaker government must
>come from the ranks of the existing administration.
>
>Australia's Foreign Minister, Mr Alexander Downer, said tonight he was
>pleased that PNG's constitution had won the day and that the events of the
>past 10 days had reminded Australians of the importance of Papua New Guinea.
>
>``We have a sense that the Constitution is holding out and that is a very
>important factor for us,'' he said. 
>
>Speaking on his way to Singapore, the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, asked
>about the Australia-PNG relationship, said: ``It's a very important
>relationship. Obviously, the events of the past few weeks have brought home
>how important it is.''
>
>Mr Howard said he welcomed the fact that events in Papua New Guinea appeared
>to show the processes of parliamentary democracy at work. 
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>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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