By FRANCIS RODNEY PULU
RETIRED Major General Jerry Singorok has no regrets to this day when he defied government orders to send out armed international mercenaries, Sandline International, 26 years ago.
During a media conference organised by the Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) last month prior to the retired army general, Jerry Singorok, departing to America to market his book to seven Hollywood movie directors, he said that to this day, he has no regrets that he defied government orders and executed Operation Rausim Kwik.
Singorok said the book (which he started writing in 2005 and completed in 2010) was more about exposing the truth about underhand deals and corruption of the government that time.
He said what he did was to save humanity in PNG on principle as Sir Edmund Berg once stated: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”.
“But if you can imagine in 1997, we had a government that was prepared to bring African mercenaries into the Pacific and all you need to do now is to go to Youtube to see a very moving movie called Blood Diamond,” Singirok said.
“Those were the type of decisions the government made that time.
“We had a series of governments who put mining and supporting corporate organisations first instead of the people.
“I was a part of that government indirectly in my capacity as military commander.
“In 1996-97, there were some secret deals between the State, represented by two senior ministers, and a British-based African mercenary group Sandline International and as the commander, I was instructed to go to London and continue this dialogue and execute an operation before the 1997 General Elections.
“20,000 people were killed and so what do I do after?
“We lost more people in Bougainville that time then the World War II, just to protect that mine.”
Singorok said the handful of soldiers who stood by him were good men.
“They were honoured to defend the country and stood with me to execute Operation Rausim Kwik, during which we detained over 50 mercenaries, put them on an aircraft and told them in no uncertain terms to get out of this country immediately and never return.
“What I did was against all military protocols and I was consequently prosecuted and persecuted.”
Singorok said Operation Rausim Kwik was used as a case study by prominent PNG lawyers, who said what he did was illegal and unconstitutional.
“But none of the lawyers interpreted Section 200 of the Constitution, which deals with raising up an illegal army,” he said.
“None of them.
“They were all focused on me.
“They got the wrong guy but the criminals were the (then) PM and the two senior cabinet members who conspired to commit murder and commit genocide and break international conventions by engaging mercenaries.
“But this is during a time when true leadership was being called for; to forego perks and privileges and to come out and be counted as men.
“We stood and made a decision so that the country could be at peace.
“I am a solder.
“While you are sleeping properly, there are men out there in the bush, bitten by mosquitos and hungry just to make sure that the country is safe.
“Those were the principles that I stood by.”
The government in 1997 had Sir Julius Chan as the prime minister and Chris Haiveta as his deputy.
For defying government orders, Singorok was charged for sedition and was in court for seven years but later won his case.
“The State invested resources to ensure I end up at Bomana for 25 years because I (had) exposed corruption,” he said.
During the press conference, Singorok was presented with K20,000 by TPA for his trip to market his book in Hollywood.
“I am privileged and humbled as a solder to continue to serve my country through the marketing of our story so the world can know that we are not a bad country,” Singirok said.
“Yes, we have chaos and we have state institutions failing but we still have good men and women who can make this country a better place to live in.”
Meanwhile, about 15 movie directors have expressed interest in turning Singirok’s book into a movie.
“One (director) said our story, if made into a movie, would be equivalent to Black Hawk Down,” he said.
