By CYRIL GARE – Freelance Consulting Journalist PORT MORESBY ||
After seven prime ministers in our short history, Prime Minister James Marape stands out and will be long-remembered for his part in lifting the ‘Pacific Solidarity’ agenda to new heights with tact and ‘shuttle diplomacy’.
Like never before since 1975, this Pastor’s son cum politician and second term Prime Minister has proven he was a ‘strategic planner and intervener’ for his country after been able to bring together world powers – United States and India – together with 16 leaders of the ‘free’ Pacific Island Countries (PIC) including New Zealand at one consensus point in Port Moresby for strategic multi-lateral and bi-lateral discussions of mutual interests.
It was here in Port Moresby last Monday – May 22, 2023 that the world’s hegemon – the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken in representing President Joe Biden signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with PNG effectively subsuming the obsolete Defense: Status of Force Agreement of 1989.
This charts new waters in ‘militarization of the pacific’. The US-PNG DCA 2023 is significant as it is a ‘direct deal’ between Washington and Port Moresby bypassing the ANZUS’s triangle Canberra and Wellington. No wonder the media hype by Australian and New Zealand media.
Despite the critics, the DCA is a double blade winner for PNG. Firstly, our territorial boundaries – air, land and sea – as well as our sovereignty is ascertained when we are covered under the wings of the big eagle rather than being burnt in dragon fire. In this context, we ask the naysayers – i) what sovereignty are you talking about protecting, and ii) for whose interests do you represent with all these non-sense and hysteria?
US – PNG relations
Everett E. Bierman was appointed by United States President Ronald Reagan as Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu in January, 1987.
On 28 February, 1989, H.E Bierman signed the Defense: Status of Forces Agreement or SOFA in Port Moresby on behalf of the United States Government (USG) while Sir Kingsford Dibela, GCMG, K. St. J., Governor General counter-signed for the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG).
The US-PNG SOFA is as old as thirty four (34) years notwithstanding US-PNG bilateral relations that was established since 1975. In the retrospect, the US-PNG relations date back to World War II. “In Angels and Victims: The People of New Guinea in World War II” the New Guinea campaign against the antagonist was one of the hardest-fought of WW II. American and Australian forces relied on native New Guineans and shed blood together to achieve victory for a free world.
The Melanesian
In traditional Melanesia, a friend is someone who stands by me during the time of conflict, bloodshed and war, that tribe or clan who stand by me to defend my land, my village and family from incursion. The bond of mutual affection begins thereon. It is an obligation that you must reciprocate by way of compensation in form of giving a portion of land away, giving a woman away to the helping tribe as a symbol of friendship and extended family or doing both.
Trade-Off
If I have to choose between China and United States, it has to be United States for obvious reasons; i) bloodshed, and ii) obligation. It was the US led allied forces that stood by us then. Others came in post-war era after the establishment of the United Nations and Bretton Wood institutions such as World Trade Organization (WTO) with multi-lateral interests which are not necessarily of a ‘Melanesian friend’.
More so, our liberty in liberal democracy and the ecclesiastical Christian beliefs must never be traded-off for the ‘dollar’ and ‘road and belt’ diplomacy.
Defense Capabilities & Infrastructure
Secondly, the PNG Defence Force will gain big time in operational capabilities, training, and infrastructure development. Prime Minister James Marape has revealed around K4- 5 billion in military upgrade will flow from the US-PNG DCA. Chief of Defence (CDF) Brigadier General Mark Goina told a public forum at Murray Barracks in Port Moresby on Tuesday, 23 May, 2023 that the PNGDF has a 40% gap in its operational capabilities and urgently needs help.
After taking Office in 2022, Commander Goina commissioned an assessment of all units of the force to determine the “key operational capabilities” of the force and the revelations were stunning:
· Operational level of capability at 30-40% that is well below 50%. Acceptable world standard of military operational capabilities is 70-80%. No military in the world is 100% operational. He would like to see 70-80% in PNGDF.
· Troops have no uniforms, field equipment, no service lines to barracks, command systems and process are broken down.
“This is the current status of our Defence Force. This has to be fixed, it requires substantial amount of money from the Government to fix it. Without this, we cannot move the force forward.
“The PNGDF is the user of the DCA. Status of our partnership (with the US) is that we continue to strive among the super powers, conforming to our foreign policy – the guide to our actions.
“In the midst of geo-politics, we have a duty to ensure our people are safe so they go about doing their business, visitors, development partners are free to come in and do their business as well, knowing fully well that your Defence Force is out there taking good care of you.
“Duty of care that rests with Defence Force is enormous, over and above what your force can provide.
“It is the duty of the Government to provide resource and support. As your Chief of Defence, I am responsible to bring the Force to operational level of capability where it can perform its duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently.
“Our Government alone cannot provide the support we need. It has competing priorities in health, education, and infrastructure development.
“So alternatively we have options to seek assistance from our development partners riding on existing bilateral relations with countries like the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, China, India, France and others,” CDF Goina said.
Marape’s Mind
The tactician’s mind needs to be understood in the context of PNG foreign policy of ‘friends to all, enemies to none’. Marape wants to see the world through a compass that shows the cardinal directions for navigation and geographic orientation in ‘The PNG Way’ with:
· East – being the Pacific (PIC) and the American continent.
· West – being Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India where there is big markets with a population of over 2 billion.
· North – being Philippines, South Korea, Japan and China, and
· South – being Australia and New Zealand.
PNG is in the middle and seeing all as equal partners for our friendship and prosperity. Our needs vary from country to country. For example, with the US, we capitalize on our bilateral relations for military, trade and commerce while with Australia we seek trade, commerce, public service, student and workers exchange, and other.
“Not all relations will be the same. Some we have military interests, some trade relations, some government relations, some education, satellite, health, etc.
No Compromise
The Prime Minister re-assures that the signing of the defense pact with the US will not compromise PNG’s relations with China. “I gave my 100% assurance to China.
I reaffirm this by closing down the Taipei diplomatic mission. Seven Prime Ministers before me never made this call.
“They know my sincerity, I don’t hide and play one against another. Their East and West is their own business. My East and West is completely different”.
World Stage
On the international front, PNG has made substantial representation within space of just one year with our Prime Minister James Marape meeting with world leaders and has established “connections”:
· White House, United States: Visited and held high level talks with President Joe Biden.
· Japan: Met and held discussions with Japanese PM. Will revisit in October.
· Other world leaders that our PM had met and held bilateral discussions include UK PM, King Charles, China President, India PM, Philippines President, Indonesian President, Thailand PM/King, and Australian Prime Minister who also visited and addressed the PNG Parliament.
· French president ‘a close friend’ and Indonesia President are said to visit PNG later this year.
· PMJM is set to visit South Korea this weekend for bilateral talks. “These are world leading economies. Your PM has met and laid the foundation for future interest of PNG.
“It is now up to public servants and relevant Ministers to progress these connections that your PM has established.
“We relate to all nations in the East, West, North and South. In 100 years of activities in the world, PNG is placed at the middle of this paradigm that is shifting. I am seeing this clearly unfolding”.
The ‘Blue Pacific’
According to PM Marape, “we are not small island nations. We are big ocean nations”.
“The Blue Pacific – Our Sea of Islands is a shared resource, fill with prized fish and marine lives. The Pacific Ocean is our security for Sustainable Development, Management and Conservation.
“The Framework for Pacific Regionalism outlines the political ambition of our leaders to work together towards delivering a prioritized development agenda for all rather than a few.
“This meeting (in Port Moresby) enables us to reinforce our regional political identity through emphasizing our shared stewardship of the Pacific Ocean and identifying ways to mobilize resource to address challenges such as climate change and poverty alleviation among our people.
The Prime Minister says under this regional framework, PNG will offer land to the PIC ‘brothers’ at the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) in Madang and elsewhere in ‘free trade zone’ provinces in PNG for them to build processing plants and export their (fish) products under their respective brands to the combine markets overseas.
With a hectic week ending successfully under his belt, a proud and satisfied James Marape can now more than ever asserts that: “if you want to talk Pacific, you cannot go pass PNG. We’re now their leader to talk about their fish, climate change, their well[1]being and prosperity”.
