Australia-PNG rift over mercenary plan widens

Australia-PNG rift over mercenary plan widens

SYDNEY (Agencies): Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Sir
Julius Chan yesterday brushed aside Australia's offer of more
military aid and insisted foreign mercenaries would serve in
troubled Bougainville province.

The rebuff drew instant condemnation within the Australian
parliament and a call for the suspension of all aid to PNG until
the mostly African mercenaries are sent home and the A$30 million
(US$23.4 million) contract with Sandline International is
canceled.

At secret weekend talks Australian Prime Minister John Howard
offered to train PNG troops for action against the rebel
Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) if foreign mercenaries were
kept off the island.

The emergency meeting in Sydney was arranged to avert a
serious rift between PNG and its former colonial master over
hiring foreign mercenaries to end the bloody nine-year struggle
with the BRA.

Laurie Brereton, spokesman on foreign affairs from the
opposition Labor Party, took aim at Chan, who in July will seek a
new mandate from PNG voters.

"Driven by his own domestic political agenda, the PNG prime
minister has now thumbed his nose not only at the Howard
government but also at Australian taxpayers who through our A$320
million (US$252.8 million) annual aid to PNG will directly pay
the wages of these freelance killers," Brereton said.

Australia is the biggest aid donor to PNG and since
independence in 1975 has run a substantial military assistance
program.

Brereton also called for an urgent meeting of the South
Pacific Forum to condemn the first-ever deployment of mercenaries
in the region and for Australia to lead action against PNG at the
United Nations.

He called on aid to be suspended until Chan relents.

"The Howard government must now deliver this message through
concrete measures which leave Sir Julius Chan in absolutely no
doubt of what is at risk as a consequence of the introduction of
hired assassins into our region," Brereton said.

At least 40 mercenaries have arrived in PNG and begun training
with high-technology communications equipment and night-fighting
gear.

Australia until now has refused to train PNG troops in
counter-insurgency techniques and banned Australian military
hardware from being used in attacks on the BRA.

Chan has said Australia's refusal motivated him to sign the
increasingly controversial deal with London-based Sandline.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said yesterday a
negotiated resolution to the Bougainville conflict was still
possible.

"I believe it is possible, with patience and hard work, to
achieve a political and peaceful solution to the problem in
Bougainville," Downer said.