Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 13:17:33 -0500
Subject: Bougainville Update - 26/2/97


>Delivered-To: malecki-AT-algonet.se
>Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 18:33:43 +1100
>To: (Recipient list suppressed)
>From: Sasha Baer <sashab-AT-magna.com.au>
>Subject: Bougainville Update - 26/2/97
>
>PNG confirms mercenaries will go to Bougainville
>===============================================>
>Radio Australia, Tuesday 25 February, 1997 (9:06pm AEDT)
>--------------------------------------------------------
>
>Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister has confirmed that some of the foreign
>military advisers hired from a private security company will go to
>Bougainville with the soldiers they are training.
>
>Sir Julius Chan told correspondent Sean Dorney that the operation was
>costing more than 30-million dollars.
>
>They're not here specifically just for Bougainville, they're here to build
>up the training capacity and the capability of the defence force. But if you
>ask me are they going to be involved in the Bougainville, certainly not on
>the front line.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Australia denies claims it approved PNG mercenary plan
>=====================================================>
>Radio Australia, Tuesday 25 February, 1997 (9:25pm AEDT)
>--------------------------------------------------------
>
>Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has denied claims that
>Australia agreed to Papua New Guinea's hiring of mercenaries to train its
>soldiers.
>
>Mr Downer has repeated the Australian Government's opposition to any use of
>foreign soldiers in the Bougainville conflict.
>
>Speaking to parliament in Canberra, he rejected claims by Papua New Guinean
>Ministers that Australia was told about the plan to hire mercenaries to
>train P-N-G troops.
>
>I'd only make this point, Mr Speaker, in relation to claims that Australia
>agreed somehow to mercenary training, that Australia was not advised by
>Papua New Guinea of its intention to hire mercenary forces. Had we been so
>advised we would have strongly counselled against such a move and the House
>would have expected us to do that. The Department of Defence has not
>sugggested at any stage that mercenaries have a role to play in Papua New
>Guinea's security.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Amnesty reports unlawful killings in Bougainville
>================================================>
>Radio Australia, Wednesday 26 February, 1997 (3:16am AEDT)
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Amnesty International says there's been an increase in unlawful killings and
>disappearances on Bougainville in recent months.
>
>Graeme Dobell says the Amnesty report criticises the Papua New Guinea
>Defence Force for poor discipline and a weak chain of command.
>
>Amnesty said that last year the P-N-G Defence Force and the government
>backed paramilitary were responsible for the unlawful killing or
>disappearance of 44 people on Bougainville. Since 1993, the Bougainville
>Revolutionary Army had committeed at least 36 arbitrary killings. The human
>rights group said the P-N-G Defence Force refused to hold its soldiers
>responsible for their actions, creating a cycle of impunity. And the report
>said previous promises from Papua New Guinea to halt violations had proved
>empty.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>PNG SETS ASIDE 30-MILLION DOLLARS FOR BOUGAINVILLE SOLUTION
>==========================================================>
>Radio Australia, Wednesday 26 February, 1997 (3:17am AEDT)
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>The international security company hired by Papua New Guinea to help it fix
>the Bougainville crisis has a 12-month contract.
>
>P-N-G's Prime Minister, Sir Julius Chan, says more than 30-million dollars
>have been set aside for the operation involving the company, Sandline
>International, which has British and South African connections.
>
>A South African military employment agency, Executive Outcomes, has
>confirmed it has been sub-contracted to train security forces as part of a
>strategy for a lasting solution to the nine-year-old secessionist war on
>Bougainville. 
>
>Sir Julius Chan told Port Moresby correspondent Sean Dorney that the
>30-million dollars was not just for the payment of military advisors.
>
>We hope to last for a year and 30-million is not just to pay these
>consultants or military advisors. I mean the newspaper called them
>mercenaries but we don't look at it like that, they are military advisors.
>They belong to a group of people that has pretty sound standing around the
>world. We hope that it will last for a year. Its not just a pay-out to them.
>No, we are buying a lot of other equipment as well. They're going to be with
>Papua New Guinea - they belong to Papua New Guinea.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>South African company confirms PNG Military contract
>===================================================>
>Radio Australia, Wednesday 26 February, 1997 (9:10am AEDT)
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>A South African mercenary company, Executive Outcomes, has confirmed its
>role in the training of Papua New Guinea troops in the battle against rebels
>on the island of Bouganville.
>
>Ben Wilson reports from Johannesburg, that a statement from Executive
>outcomes says it is providing training, aircraft and equipment to the P-N-G
>military:
>
>Executive Outcomes' statement confirming its involvement in PNG coincides
>with statements from the country's Prime Minister Julius Chan, who says
>there are now 40 foreign military advisers providing training to the PNG
>military. Executive Outcomes says it is one of a number of reputable
>international firms sub-contracted by the UK-based military consultancy
>Sandline International, to retrain and reorganise PNG's armed forces. The
>mercenary firm says its role in PNG is part of a multi-faceted strategy to
>reach a lasting solution to the 9 year-old crisis on Bougainville.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>South African Archbishop to intervene in P.N.G. mercenary row
>============================================================>
>Radio Australia, Wednesday 26 February, 1997 (5:08pm AEDT)
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>A South African Archbishop says he'll approach the government in Pretoria
>about the use of South African military trainers in Papua New Guinea.
>
>The Catholic Archbishop of Durban, Wilfred Napier, says he's concerned that
>South Africa is increasingly being used as a base for mercenary operations
>in Africa - and now the Asia Pacific region.
>
>He plans to ask his Bishops' Conference to pursue the matter with South
>Africa's Foreign Ministry.
>
>And the Archbishop hinted the private military personnel in P-N-G may be
>involved in more than just training:
>
>They tend to be people who are out for the monetary rather than any moral
>value, and while they may claim that they are doing it at the invitation of
>a government and they're only involved in training, the experience for
>instance in the case of the Seychelles was that they were actually going
>there to overthrow that government.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Australia wants answers to questions on P.N.G mercenaries
>========================================================>
>Radio Australia, Wednesday 26 February, 1997 (5:08pm AEDT)
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>Australia has called for what it terms an urgent response to a series of
>questions put to Papua New Guinea about its use of mercenaries.
>
>The Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, says he called in the
>Papua New Guinea High Commissioner to Canberra, Kenneth Noga to whom the
>questions were put.
>
>Mr Downer says he's asked New Zealand, the United States and Britain to
>express concern to Papua New Guinea. 
>Mr Downer told Parliament he asked for an explanation of the intended use
>and funding of the mercenaries.
>
>This morning I called into my office the P.N.G High Commissioner to make
>clear our concerns again and to seek urgently clarification from the P.N.G
>govt of the remarks made by Prime Minister Chan yesterday including the
>following: the position of the P.N.G govt on the potential involvement of
>foreign personnel in combat.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Title -- 466 BOUGAINVILLE: PM - Can't say on hired guns claim
>Date -- 24 February 1997
>Byline -- Peter Niesi
>Origin -- Niuswire
>Source -- Post-Courier (PNG), 24/2/97
>Copyright -- Post-Courier
>Status -- Abridged
>-----------------
>
>PM: CAN'T SAY ON HIRED GUNS CLAIM
>
>By Peter Niesi
>
>PRIME MINISTER Sir Julius Chan yesterday refused to discuss directly reports
>that the Papua New Guinea government had hired foreign mercenaries to wipe
>out the rebel leadership on Bougainville and rescue the five security force
>hostages.
>
>He told the Post-Courier that "the description that has been used is not
>necessarily promotive to what we are trying to do".
>
>The Weekend Australian newspaper, quoting senior PNG government officials
>and independent sources, reported that cabinet had approved the hiring of
>Sandlines International, a subsidiary of the UK-registered company Executive
>Outcomes, to plan and execute a "surgical strike" against hardline rebel
>leaders in central Bougainville.
>
>The report said the mercenaries had been flown to Wewak in two Russian
>military cargo aircraft flying under the flag of Bulgarian Air Sofia, in
>night flights during the past two weeks and were in training secretly.
>
>When asked on arrival from Madang yesterday, Sir Julius said he needed a bit
>of time.
>
>"As the presentation is a matter of national security, I would neither
>confirm nor deny until I have had proper discussions with my colleagues," he
>said, referring to cabinet and the National Security Advisory Council.
>
>About the reported presence of the mercenaries around Wewak, he said he
>would have to consult with Defence Mnister Mathias Ijape for confirmation if
>such an exercise was taking place.
>
>He said matters of national security "have t be handled very cautiously" by
>himself and government officials.
>
>"It is not something that anyone can go and blow out," he said.
>
>However, he said, the Defence Force needed to be upgraded consistently and
>had previously been given special squad training by United States special
>paratroopers.
>
>"The past 12 months have shown that we need to constantly upgrade and also
>equip soldiers properly and even properly psyched to the situation in which
>they have to serve in the interest of this country," he said.
>
>"I need to look at the matter under consideration and to discuss this with
>members of cabinet. There are security aspects involved. I know there are a
>lot of these latest gadgets - probably a spy network - that are being put at
>every area of this country that are consistently monitoring every move made
>by this government.
>
>"I have to be certain that matters of security are not necessarily pushed
>into the open simply because we have all these modern gadgets that are
>constantly eyeing on our country."
>
>The Weekend Australian said Australian pime Minister John Howard had phoned
>Sir Julius on Thursday last week to raise Australia's concern about a return
>to a hardline military approach to Bougainville.
>
>Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, who visited PNG last
>week, was quoted as warning the PNG government against being tempted by
>"quick fixes" which would undermine progress made towards peace.
>
>He announced then that Australia was to funnel $A4 million in aid to
>Bougainville people via the Red Cross organisation.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Title -- 467 BOUGAINVILLE: Skate says an 'act of madness'
>Date -- 24 February 1997
>Byline -- None
>Origin -- Niuswire
>Source -- Post-Courier (PNG), 24/2/97
>Copyright -- Post-Courier
>Status -- Unabridged
>-------------------
>
>SKATE: ACT OF MADNESS
>
>THE reported decision to hire foreign mercenaries to fight Papua New
>Guineans was "an act of madness" and a direct threat to democracy in Papua
>New Guinea, People's National Congress leader and National Capital District
>Governor Bill Skate said yesterday.
>
>"This decision that cabinet is reported to have made is really the
>introduction of a private army in Papua New Guinea and is an insult and
>direct attack on the PNG Defence Force," he said.
>
>The government had failed to support the troops in Bougainville, yet was now
>willing to spend millions "to have 150 foreign mercenaries come and shoot
>Papua New Guineans".
>
>"For years, the Prime Minister has said that Bougainville is an internal
>problem of PNG and that the government doesn't need foreign assistance to
>solve this crisis," Mr Skate said.
>
>"Now we discover he has engaged a private army of foreign war veterans to
>execute a surgical strike targeting hard-line rebels."
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Title -- 468 MEDIA: Chan blasts media over mercenaries
>Date -- 24 February 1997
>Byline -- David Robie
>Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
>Source -- Asia-Pacific Network, 24/2/97
>Copyright -- APN
>Status -- Unabridged
>-------------------
>
>CHAN BLASTS MEDIA OVER MERCENARIES
>
>By David Robie
>
>Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan tonight accused news media reports alleging
>the Papua New Guinea government had hired mercenaries for a military strike
>in Bougainville of being "premature and hypocritical".
>
>He said the team hired to train the PNG Defence Force "are not cowboys -
>they are a reputable professional company".
>
>His statement came as the Australian government warned PNG that its
>A$320-a-year bilateral aid program would be at risk if it was confirmed the
>Chan government was employing mercenaries.
>
>Prime Minister John Howard said use of mercenaries was "absolutely
>unacceptable" and would damage relations between the two countries.
>
>Reaction in Papua New Guinea has generally been astonishment and
>incredulity. National Capital District governor Bill Skate branded the
>hiring of mercenaries "an act of madness" and a threat to democracy. 
>
>Skate also called on Chan to resign.
>
>But while Chan confirmed there were foreign military forces already in the
>country in his statement tonight, he rejected the description of
>"mercenaries", preferring the term "trainers".
>
>The Prime Minister named Sandline International - reportedly a subsidiary of
>the British-based company Executive Outcomes which has been active in South
>Africa - as having contracted to provide "military training and logistical
>support" for the PNG Defence Force.
>
>"Yes there is training going on at the moment - training for our
>under-equipped, under-trained and under-resourced Security Forces," Chan said.
>
>"I'm sick and tired of our boys coming back in body bags.
>
>"This means only one thing - that it is about time our troops were equipped
>physically and psychologically to deal with the rigours of combat situations.
>
>"The team we have hired to train our security force members are not cowboys
>- they are a reputable professional company, who are part of our many
>faceted strategy to reach a lasting solution to this particular crisis, as
>well as other matters of national security."
>
>Political commentators are asking about the funding source for the military
>deal and the nature of advice to the government over the decision.
>
>The hiring of mercenaries is seen by some critics as a desperate political
>gamble to end the eight-year-old civil war on copper-rich Bougainville
>before the national election in June.
>
>Chan asked: "Why is it now, after a relatively successful series of
>bilateral meetings between Australian government officials and their PNG
>equivalents, do we have to contend with this international scrutiny of a
>training operation that had bilateral international support when it was
>first announced?
>
>"Now that we have put those plans into action PNG is being accused of hiring
>mercenaries - not trainers but mercenaries - by the media of a country which
>endorsed the strategy in the first place." 
>
>Chan also hinted the training might also be for the border with Indonesia
>which has been used at times by Melanesian OPM guerrillas against Indonesian
>forces.
>
>"Bougainville is not the only national security situation we have to contend
>with - on our western border we have 1000 km of some of the most
>inhospitable terrain on earth to monitor and patrol," he said.
>
>"A border where there are an increasing number of incursions from the rebels
>of the OPM into our sovereign territory. 
>
>"Why the media runs with such an outspoken line without doing their research
>first astounds me - is there some political agenda that is behind their
>motives, to possibly destabilise the government and disrupt the June
>elections."    
>
>Chan said that just as the Australian, New Zealand and United States
>governments provided defence force training and support for PNG, "we have
>had to access the open market to provide 'special forces' training."
>
>After Chan earlier refused to confirm or deny Weekend Australian reports
>about the hiring of up to 150 mercenaries for a "surgical strike" against
>the rebel leadership, the daily PNG Post-Courier said in an editorial the
>PNG government's move was a serious threat to the Bougainville peace process.
>
>The paper also warned that five security force members being held hostage by
>the rebels would be at risk.
>
>"If the government thinks mercenaries can solve the Bougainville crisis for
>them before the general elections, they are wrong," the Post-Courier said.
>
>"This apparently is a blunder which will cost the people of PNG millions of
>kina and will put the peace process further and further out of reach." 
>
>In Sydney, rebel spokesman Moses Havini said the Bougainville Freedom
>Movement would seek meetings with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander
>Downer and Mr Howard this week to ask Australia to bring pressure on PNG to
>abandon the operation.
>
>"We will ask for aid to be withdrawn, including the A$4 million in
>humanitarian aid for Bougainville recently announced by Mr Downer," he said.
>
>Downer, who visited PNG last week, said any military operation by the PNG
>government to end the Bougainville war would only disrupt the current peace
>process.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Title -- 471 BOUGAINVILLE: 'Orogen cash used'
>Date -- 25 February 1997
>Byline -- Peter Niesi
>Origin -- Niuswire
>Source -- Post-Courier (PNG), 25/2/97
>Copyright -- Post-Courier
>Status -- Unabridged
>-------------------
>
>LETTER: OROGEN CASH USED ON B'VILLE
>
>By Peter Niesi
>
>The Papua New Guinean government used more than K30 million of the Orogen
>Minerals sales proceeds to fund its "Bougainville initiative".
>
>The initiative, according to Waigani-based sources, is what Australian media
>reports have described as the hiring of mercenaries to wipe out the BRA
>leadership and rescue five security force hostages in South Bougainville.
>
>Deputy Prime Minister Chris Haiveta sent a letter to the chairman of the
>North Fly Highway Development Company Pty Ltd, dated January 23, in which he
>said that Roadco was nominated as "the vehicle by which the government's
>program of implementation will be coordinated and financed".
>
>This was because the government did not want any "technical complications"
>if the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund found out that after
>all the efforts to receive these internationally reputed monetary
>organisations, they had not included the money in the 1997 Budget and also
>it was being used for something that was not part of the agreed conditions
>in the structural adjustment program.
>
>The letter, which was entitled "Financing of Costs Relating to the
>Government's Bougainville Initiative", reads (in part):
>
>"It should be noted that Roadco has been nominated because this expenditure
>has not been budgeted in the 1997 Budget; and any financing out of the 1997
>National Budget would onl create technical complications in the
>implementation of the Budget as well as conditions relating to the IMF/World
>Bank loans."
>
>The letter, purportedly signed by Mr Haiveta, gave instructions for a
>subsidiary ledger to be created to specifically account for all monies
>received and expenditures incurred for the specific assignment.
>
>Resistance leaders chairman Sam Akoitai yesterday said that the government
>should have used the money to engage an outside force for "overseeing
>peace-building".
>
>He expressed surprise that the government should commit K33.6 million
>towards this after working so hard to have the World Bank release the second
>tranche loan of about K25 million.
>
>"I think we have enough deaths on Bougainville and the government itself has
>been saying that there has been enough suffering on Bougainville," he said.
>
>"If the story (about the mercenaries) is true, the government is looking at
>a force that is not a peace-building force."
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Title -- 468 BOUGAINVILLE: Chan blasts media
>Date -- 24 February 1997
>Byline -- David Robie
>Origin -- Niuswire
>Source -- Asia-Pacific Network, 24/2/97
>Copyright -- APN
>Status -- Unabridged
>-------------------
>
>CHAN BLASTS MEDIA OVER MERCENARIES
>
>By David Robie
>
>Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan tonight accused news media reports alleging
>