By CYRIL GARE – Freelance Journalist
PORT MORESBY || 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 me 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 liberal democracy ideology and the ecclesiastical Christian religion doctrines must never be held in contempt of ‘road and belt’ diplomacy and ‘Communist China’ articles in the Post Courier or where ever else publication and literature.
Pacific Expansionism
Expansionism refers to Countries obtaining greater territory through military empirebuilding or colonialism. The current debate on Pacific expansionism whether by US or China raise an important issue at hand – can we trade off PNG’s sovereignty?
The answer is no. This cannot and will not happen.
The benefits of US military presence in the Pacific and in PNG are far more greater and even safer to lax our ‘sovereignty’ upon than Communist China. Chinese presence in PNG currently through increasing non-stoppable retail businesses, road contracts and taking over local labour, and expanding interests in our mining and petroleum sector already irks Papua New Guineans at heart. We blame the ‘Look North Policy’ of previous Government. As Communist China expands it prowess across the globe using its economic and military power, we must retreat from the confectionery of ‘dollar diplomacy’ and ‘road and belt’ and re-evaluate our sovereignty based on history, ideological and ecclesiastical values and norm.
No Compromise
The United States and Papua New Guinea have enjoyed a close friendship, and the U.S. Government seeks to enhance Papua New Guinea’s stability as a U.S. partner. The two countries work together on many mutual priorities from improving transparency and good governance, to combating trafficking in persons, curbing the effects of environmental insecurity, protecting fisheries, improving public health, and promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, with an emphasis on increasing access to entrepreneurship.
Our militaries have had a cooperative security assistance relationship focused primarily on joint humanitarian exercises and the training of Papua New Guinean military personnel.
Status Quo
There seem to be strong push by foreign media for PNG military to have no closer collaboration with USA Defense Force and Department and it is concerning that news about our work with USA Government is being now broken up from down south by both New Zealand and Australian based reporting.
For 48 years no serious efforts have been made to jump start our defence force into a strong modern force and contrary to that since year 2000 there was a deliberate push to down size and weaken our defence force. For the records we have always had our relationship with USA military , just like we have with Australia, NZ, France and UK but all under an umbrella agreement called status of force agreement of 1989 (SOFA). But we have moved ahead with a specific Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with Australia just like we have with Indonesia, and this USA DCA is similar to what we have with Australia and Indonesia at present.
Conclusion
• the USA DCA will not offend any of our country’s law;
•This type of agreement is provided for through Section 206 of our National
Constitution;
•Developed within provisions of the Visiting Forces Act 1975;
•This DCA is elevated from the SOFA agreement of 1989;
•We will not be changing any laws to implement this DCA;
•Has no immunity for criminal conduct of visiting USA forces;
•Assets developed under this agreement will be owned by PNG government and for
military installations our defence force;
•It is for 15 years and we can terminate it if we not happy;
•All operations under this agreement must be agreed upon by PNGDF;
•Our defence Capacity to be built up;
•This DCA does not stop us from working with all other nations including China; and
•The DCA comes within own laws and does not require us breaking a law of our
country;
•does not offend friends to all enemies to none stance in the world.
The last 48 years we have watch our military erode under all agreements we have till this day. Today USA the biggest military in the world wants to come in a big including infrastructures development and capacity building for our national defence.
U.S – PNG relations was established since 1975 and further sealed by SOFA in 1989 but
through Canberra. Today, the U.S wants it directly sealed between ourselves minus
Canberra.
So it is the direct-deal (Washington – Port Moresby) that makes the Australian media
with access to current Australian government creating “breaking news” about our USPNG DCA.
