MASIU: BOUGAINVILLEANS WONT FORGET SANDLINE CRISIS
Deputy Opposition Leader, and Shadow Inter-government and Bougainville
Relations Minister, the Member for South Bougainville Honourable Timothy Masiu says the people of Bougainville are closely watching developments relating to the purported appointment of Sir Julius Chan as Prime Minister by Peter O’Neill.
“With all due respect to Sir Julius as a founding father of this nation, the Sandline Affair, a defining moment in the history of Papua New Guinea, which resulted in his resignation as Prime Minister has not yet been forgotten by not just the people of Bougainville, but also the many Papua New Guineans that took the streets to protest against the involvement of foreign mercenaries in ending the Bougainville crisis.”
The team leading the country at the time also included the former
Deputy Prime Minister, and current Governor of Gulf Honourable Chris
Haivetta.
“For those of you who may have forgotten the details, or who may have been too young to remember, or who may have a more watered down recollection, let me remind you on behalf of the people of Bougainville of the events of March 1997.”
After failed attempts to both negotiate a peace deal and also defeat the Bougainville Revolutionary Army, the Chan-Haivetta Government turned to Sandline International, a company led by a retired Scots Guards Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer, as both Australia and New Zealand had refused to assist.
Sandline specialised in providing arms,
equipment, and contractors to participate in conflicts. At the heart
of the conflict was control over CRA’s Panguna Mine.
When the Sandline Affair was leaked in the Australian media by the Australian Newspaper there was a public uproar. The news quickly broke in PNG.
PNGDF soldiers were approached by members of a local NGO called Melanesian Solidarity who wanted to consolidate a military and civil society protest against the Chan-Haivetta decision to engage Sandline.
Chan was forced to resign as Prime Minister after operation “Rausim
Kwick” which was planned by the then Commander of the PNG Defence Force Jerry Singirok and commanded by Major Walter Enuma, and began
on the evening of the 16th of March 1997.
In twenty-four hours they
had arrested and disarmed the mercenaries.
On the 17th of March Singirok gave Chan, Haivetta and Defence Minister Mathias Ijape 48 hours to resign. Chan responded by refusing to resign and instead sacked Singirok.
The NGO’s began nation wide strikes in support of General Singirok. Singirok accepted his termination and urged the
rank and file to support his replacement. He denied that he had sought to take power in any sort of Coup.
During this period the Governor General, Sir Wiwa Korowi took out a
full page ad accusing the Government of widespread corruption.
Protests continued to grow, and despite the potential for Defence /
Police clashes, the army observed great discipline under the watchful
eye of Major Enuma.
Chan was forced to cancel the Sandline deal and announce an inquiry –
Singirok and Enuma had achieved their most important goal, however
they continued to demand Chan, Haivetta, and Ijapes resignations.
On the 21st of March all Sandline personnel were withdrawn from PNG. Only Tim Spicer remained to give evidence.
After immense public pressure Chan sacked both Haivetta and Ijape and resigned himself on the 26th
of March.
The following year a peace deal was negotiated in Bougainville.
“Too often here in PNG we suffer from a short memory in relation to issues of national significance such as this.
I urge those members of Parliament who continue to support the O’Neill regime camped at the Crown Hotel to think carefully and follow your conscience before any vote takes place on the floor of Parliament.
Only on the floor of Parliament can a Prime Minister be selected.
In a race to secure access to a commodity, copper, during the Sandline Affair the leaders of the day, Chan and Haivetta were willing to sacrifice the safety and security of the innocent men, women and children of Bougainville and the integrity of processes of government and state institutions.
This is not the type of leadership Papua New Guinea needs today as our
natural resources have grown ten fold.
We must think of our people in
Hela, Southern Highlands, Western Province, Gulf, Central, Enga, Madang, Morobe, New Ireland and now Sepik.
Our people need leadership
that will protect their interests with a collective approach towards managing national assets in the national interest.”
HON TIMOTHY MASIU MP
Deputy Opposition Leader & Member for South Bougainville
Chan to visit Bougainville after the change of government.
ReplyDeleteChan to visit Bougainville after the change of government.
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