Malaysian threat to Bougainville
By Norm Dixon
Moses Havini, the Bougainville Interim Government's representative in Australia, has condemned Malaysia's decision to provide military aid and counter-insurgency training to the PNG Defence Force. Havini expressed fear that the agreements made in Port Moresby may lead to direct Malaysian intervention in Bougainville.
In Port Moresby for the first meeting of the Malaysia-PNG Defence Cooperation joint Working Committee on May 7, Malaysia's secretary for defence, Datuk Nasruddin bin Bahari, announced that his government would aid the PNGDF by providing "training of military personnel and pilots, and the supply of small arms, equipment and uniforms and training in psychological warfare".
Malaysian soldiers would be seconded to the PNGDF. Nasruddin said training in counter-insurgency warfare would help PNGDF defeat the Bougainville Revolutionary Army.
"This is the first time a country has said directly that they would provide military assistance to be used specifically in putting down the Bougainville uprising", Havini told Green Left Weekly. He pointed out that PNG has now forged military pacts with three countries. "The first is Australia; then, in January this year, they signed a military pact with Indonesia; and now Malaysia."
Malaysian aid made the people of Bougainville "very fearful because Malaysia has had years of experience of combating communist insurgencies, and they are bound to teach PNG very brutal ways". Havini criticised the PNG government for involving a country outside the South Pacific Forum region. "We fear any assistance from [countries outside the region] because some of them have very bad track records as far as respect for human rights is concerned."
Havini said the agreement may result in direct military involvement by the Malaysian military in Bougainville. "One aspect we fear most is the landing of paratroopers on Bougainville. That can only be done by a country that has engaged in that sort of military tactic before. While PNG hasn't got that capability, both Indonesia and Malaysia do."
The Namaliu government "seems to be more intent on solving the Bougainville crisis militarily. We would still prefer to solve it through peaceful means", Havini assured Green Left Weekly.