Reflections on an attempted seizure of the State

BY PAUL OATES

A coup d'état….is the sudden, illegal deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either civil or military [Wikipedia]

THE IMPLICATIONS OF Thursday’s actions by rogue defence personnel may be just as significant as if there had been a successful coup.

Discipline is a key factor with the PNGDF. Without discipline and loyalty to the nation, a military force is subject to whoever decides to lead. Yet does the PNGDF evidence a history of loyalty and discipline?

There have been recent cases of lack of PNGDF discipline and effective civilian control over the force.

In May 2011 the PNG media reported an armed riot by members of the PNGDF in Moresby. Armed soldiers from Taurama Barracks travelled in convoy from the barracks to a service station and, after discharging their weapons, ransacked the premises and tried to set fire to 80,000 litres of fuel. The damage and loss of property was estimated at more than K5 million.

This came on top of a demonstration of soldiers in Lae after a reportedly drunken officer was refused service and ejected from a store by security personnel. Armed PNGDF personnel left their barracks and patrolled the town in full view of the public. The local police commander was eventually able to get the soldiers to return to barracks. There were no reports of any disciplinary action being taken.

Given the events in Moresby on Thursday, nothing less than immediate action by the PNGDF Commander and investigation by an independent authority can stop further escalation of such mutinous events. It is a worrisome that the Defence Force shows such contempt for civilian rule.

The soldiers responsible must be immediately stood down and all weapons and ammunition throughout the country impounded and placed under proper control. Failure to act decisively could result in a similar situation to that in Wewak some years ago where it was reported soldiers raided the armoury and stole weapons and ammunition, some of which were never recovered.

Either the PNG government, through the PNGDF Commander, has control of the country's defence force or the next step could well be a military coup. It's happened in Fiji and it can happen in PNG.

The people in the Somare camp who reportedly gave an illegal order to a retrenched officer to stage the most recent action must now be confronted with their crime.

Surely such a dishonourable and dangerous action cannot be swept under the carpet. To seek to usurp the wishes of an elected Parliament is seditious (stirring up of rebellion against the government in power).

Deputy PM Belden Namah claimed that Michael Somare had committed treason (the violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or state).

Whether the acts of Thursday were seditious or traitorous, it is clear that Michael Somare has gone too far.

Perhaps his honorific of Grand Chief and his knighthood should be revoked - cancellation is considered in cases where retention of the appointment or award would bring the honours system into disrepute.

Comments

[Paul Oates]

Here is an example in today's news of an honour being withdrawn due to dishonourable actions by the holder.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/former-royal-bank-of-scotland-boss-fred-goodwin-stripped-of-knighthood/story-fn7kjcme-1226259050265

[David Kitchnoge]

Agreed Paul. The uprising could have easily spiralled out of control.

I see Namah is already talking amnesty with those rebels but warned them that this will only happen once.

If it is true, then what signal does that send to the military? That they can use the people's fire power entrusted on them at their pleasure to manipulate power?

[Peter Kranz]

Well Sasa is the front guy - those that were behind him are the real culprits.

I suspect they will use the Charles Ist's defence - "I am the legitimate King! How dare you do this!"

Didn't do him much good did it?

[Paul Oates]

While one might feel sorry about someone’s misguided actions, the implications of this chap's actions are immense.

If this mutiny had taken hold, anything might have occurred.

Once an armed insurrection begins, it tends to grow like a cancer and those in charge then resort to ever increasing violent means to maintain their grip on power.

The latent potential was there for the whole fabric of the PNG law and order, judicial system and government to have been subverted and destroyed.

Those who directed Yasa to take this illegal action are just as culpable and should be brought to justice as well, irrespective of their standing in the community.

They have revealed their true colours and lack of appreciation of what their actions could have caused.

[David Kitchnoge]

Like every other major event of national significance that had been swept under the carpet in the past, this one too will come to pass and no one will be held to account. Shame!

The 2012 national budget has been passed and the Electoral Commission is apparently ready. It seems there are no major government business to be dealt with in the remaining life of this parliament apart from the Women's bill which should get the nod in the February sitting of parliament.

Parliament should then terminate itself after passing the Women's bill. Early elections seems to be a good way to escape from this shameful mess.

[Peter Kranz]

I feel rather sorry for Sasa. A rather sad old man (with a distinguished career behind him) seduced into being the front man for a bunch of failed politicians, and now obviously being set up as the fall guy.

In his TV interview he looked nervous and uncertain. And took a mobile phone call in the middle of it (wonder who that was from?) and is now languishing in Bomana gaol.

[Peter Kranz]

Sasa's now been charged with mutiny (strange charge for a civilian), and the O'Neill camp say they are pursuing the instigators as well.

But Kumbakor and Somare came out yesterday unrepentant. Kumbakor even boasted that they had 200 troops at Taurama Barracks "with lots of firepower".

Hopefully this is just posturing.
___________

Media reports got the charge wrong - it's incitement to mutiny - KJ

[Paul Oates]

According to PNG media, Yasa is to be charged.

Surely those who directed him to perform this illegal activity should also then be charged?

[Peter Kranz]

The Sunday Chronicle newspaper reports Colonel Yaura Sasa was arrested at a lodge in the Port Moresby suburb of Boroko last night.

A police spokesman confirmed the arrest and said Colonel Sasa was being processed, but could not say if he has been charged.

Sir Michael is yet to comment publicly about the attempted mutiny.

[Mrs Barbara Short]

I feel that already PNG has "massive amounts of corruption at all levels due to the law not being upheld and correctly being followed."

There also is a "brain drain as those PNG people with education and the opportunity sought to migrate to countries where the rule of law was upheld and the uniformed forces were subject to civilian control and discipline."

There are rising crime-related social problems in the villages. The village cultures are changing. Old disciplines are not always being replaced by new disciplines.

People steal so they can survive. There is corruption in the public service and government departments fail to deliver to the poor in the villages.

"Discipline", "love" and "caring", have so often been replaced by "greed" and "corruption". They now have "individualism", and "loss of community and traditional communal sharing".

[Phil Fitzpatrick]

In PNG "the system" doesn't work Paul.

The whole frame work of the nation's government services is not available to ordinary people.

There are thousands of government employees who accept their pay but don't turn up for work.

Most people only foresee a future of everlasting graft, corruption and malfeasance.

PNG is sorely in need of discipline.

[Paul Oates]

Barbara- What you are intimating surely can’t be right.

If that was the case, PNG would see massive amounts of corruption at all levels due to the law not being upheld and correctly being followed. PNG people would be constantly subject to illegal roadblocks and police keeping illegally imposed fines.

The country’s defence force couldn’t be guaranteed to remain loyal and trusted. There would be a massive brain drain as those PNG people with education and the opportunity sought to migrate to countries where the rule of law was upheld and the uniformed forces were subject to civilian control and discipline.

In other words, PNG as a nation just couldn’t operate effectively without proper discipline.

No one surely would willingly wish that situation on any nation.

PNG people understand and accept that discipline has to be strictly maintained at all times and whatever the costs to the individual even at the possible expense of localised customs and culture.

For without effective discipline, no one could guarantee that any system would work or that the whole framework of the nation’s government services would be available for ordinary people. Government employees could just accept their pay but not turn up for work or perform their duties.

There would be no bright future for such a country without discipline. People from such a country could only foresee a future of ever lasting graft, corruption and malfeance.

Surely all true PNG patriots know this and totally reject any notion that what you might be suggesting is far more important than saving their nation from a total collapse and impending future disaster?

No way! Nogat tru! Las momo kani!

[Mrs Barbara Short]

The concept of "discipline" in the western sense is probably still something that is not understood by many in PNG. Does it all go back to "demand feeding"?

When I taught at Keravat we had this long-running complaint that they "were being treated" badly when it came to discipline.

They were senior high school students so they should be treated differently from the Junior High School.

They always wanted a "second chance". They wanted a Disciplinary Committee which would allow them to have "their side of the story told" etc etc.

I have a feeling that in this case there will be little "discipline" as we know it.

Somare will just keep on saying that the Supreme Court decided that he should be Prime Minister. He appears to have lost his sensitivity to the political scene.

Probably O'Neill's idea to call an early election is the best and quickest way to end all this trouble.

[Peter Kranz]

Standard and Poor have downgraded PNG's credit rating as a result of the political uncertainty.

Happy now Somares?
_______________

MELBOURNE (Standard & Poor's) Jan. 27, 2012--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today revised the outlook on the long-term sovereign credit rating on Papua New Guinea (PNG) to negative from stable. At the same time, Standard & Poor's has affirmed its 'B+' local and foreign currency long-term rating and 'B' short-term rating.

The transfer and convertibility assessment remains 'BB'.

The outlook change reflects the weakened political settings in PNG following the detention and later release of defense force chief commander, Brigadier General Francis Agwi, by elements of PNG's military seeking the reinstatement of Sir Michael Somare as prime minister.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/27/markets-ratings-papuanewguinea-idUSWNA876820120127

[Paul Oates]

PM O’Neill must now act decisively and immediately.

The police should be directed to quickly investigate and interview the 'passers by' who witnessed this reported evidence.

The PNG Police Commissioner presumably will be immediately applying to a Court to have full electronic surveillance of all political meetings by the Somare group who have now proven themselves prepared to plan and commit illegal activities on a grand scale.

The freshest evidence is always the best. “Justice delayed is justice denied’.

[Paul Oates]

Notable examples of persons who forfeited their honours include:

* Anthony Blunt, knighted as Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures for his services to Art, lost his knighthood in the 1980s when he was revealed to be the "Fourth Man" in the early 1950s Burgess and Maclean spying scandal which also touched on the 1960s Philby spying affair, as a result of which he confessed to the security services. Although Blunt was never charged or convicted, the honour was withdrawn on the advice of the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

* Roger Casement, a distinguished diplomat in the Belgian Congo, who was convicted of spying in the First World War because of his involvement in the 1916 Irish Easter Rising, forfeited his knighthood and was executed.

* Nicolae Ceauşescu forfeited his honorary knighthood that he earlier received for his friendship with Western democracies.

* Albert Henry was the former Premier of the Cook Islands. He was later convicted of electoral fraud in the 1980s.

* Terry Lewis, knighted for his services to Queensland police, was stripped of his knighthood in 1993 after being sentenced to prison on charges of corruption and forgery as a result of the findings of the Fitzgerald Inquiry.

* Jack Lyons, who had received his knighthood for his huge charitable donations and services to industry, lost it when he was convicted of fraud in the 1980s.

* Robert Mugabe was stripped of his honorary GCB after calls from the Government to the Royal Family due to the crisis in Zimbabwe under his régime, including hyperinflation, and violence in the 2008 Presidential elections.

* Lester Piggott, the high-profile jockey, had his OBE removed after being convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for tax evasion.

[Peter Kranz]

The PC reports that after a strategy session at Ela Beach Hotel attended by Arthur Somare and other supporters the white board in the conference room contained the words: MILITARY ACTION, as an action point.

This was noticed by several passers-by after the board was left in the corridor.

Not exactly John Le Carre style caution. (Smiley used to write on a single sheet of paper on a glass plate to avoid prints being taken of the impressions of his handwriting).