Editorial:

Intervention and stand-over in PNG

Australia's interventionist, neo-colonialist and stand-over of Papua New 
Guinea and other Pacific Island nations took another step last week with 
the visit of Foreign Minister Downer to Port Moresby. He apparently 
succeeded in foisting upon the PNG Foreign Minister an agreement that could 
lead to the posting to PNG of at least 200 Australian police and the 
virtual takeover of PNG Government departments by Australian 
bureaucrats.

The Government's step followed the publication in August of a Senate 
Inquiry report into Australia's relations with PNG and other Pacific Island 
nations. The Senate Committee that conducted the inquiry, with three Labor 
Party Senators among its six members, made no declaration of support for 
the sovereignty of these states.

Its principle recommendation called for the establishment of a "Pacific 
economic and political community" which could involve establishing a common 
currency "preferably based on the Australian dollar" and a "common labour 
market and common budgetary and fiscal standards".

The report makes clear that the economic policies already foisted on all 
the Pacific Island states that have already had disastrous consequences are 
to continue.

In its submission to the Senate Inquiry the ACTU at least recognises this 
truth. It said: "The IMF/World Bank policies which have lead to the 
privatisation program relating to PNG airlines, harbour facilities, the 
national bank, and water and electricity utilities  have not achieved the 
stabilising economic, political or social results promised". Unfortunately 
the ACTU did not offer the Committee any alternative policy proposals.

The Australian Government's policies are to be enforced by the use of 
Australian police, financial bureaucrats, auditors and possibly military 
force as is already happening in the Solomon Islands. One daily newspaper 
report warns that, "If left alone, PNG may require military intervention"

Last week's "negotiations" were accompanied by threats that Australian aid 
would be cut. A Sydney Morning Herald article said "A senior Australian 
Government source admitted some aid programs may be cut if PNG did not 
agree to the initiatives [of the Australian Government]".

The real value of Australian aid has been seriously challenged by PNG's 
Prime Minister Michael Somare and by PNG's National Planning Minister Sinai 
Brown who says that most of the aid was returning to Australia. Australian 
managers, contractors and equipment are brought in for specific projects, 
and then flown out upon completion, overlooking local communities, he said.

Oxfam in a recent statement said that eight cases investigated by it showed 
that Australian-listed mining companies operating in Indonesia, PNG, the 
Philippines and Peru had contributed to increased conflict and instability 
in local communities.

"We have communities that have complaints in terms of the use of security 
forces against them involving violence or even in some cases, killings", 
said Oxfam spokeswoman Ingrid Macdonald. "We have complaints about forcible 
relocation from land and evictions without compensation".

The Australian Government on the one hand raises the spectre of 
"transnational crime", the use of the Island states as terrorist havens, 
and the alleged corruption in their police and governments and claims that 
Australia's intentions are to "help", "assist" and "protect their security 
and stimulate their economies".

These bland statements of good intentions are contradicted by the reality. 
"Transnational crime" is in fact being committed by the Australian, 
Japanese, Malaysian, French and other corporations that are ripping out the 
mineral resources of the island states, despoiling their timber resources 
without regard for the environment and stealing the land of the Indigenous 
people.

The consequence is the impoverishment of the people, massive unemployment, 
displacement from land and the breakup of communities.

There is much noise being made by Australian politicians about "good 
governance". The Senate Inquiry report says, "Current good governance 
programs are often based on Western modes which downplay the significant 
rights entrenched in many Pacific Constitutions." The report then proceeds 
to ignore this statement and calls for the establishment of institutions 
identical to those in Australia and arrogantly declares that, "If these 
mechanisms are in place, law and order will emerge".

The report also says, "It is essential that public sector reform is carried 
out in conjunction with programs to assist private sector development".

And that's what it is all about — securing the interests of the big 
private corporations while privatising public sector enterprises and 
services.

Such policies will only, as they have done elsewhere, worsen the situation 
for the people of the island states.