VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4] ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 09:41:05 03/11/02 Mon
Author: Buffy's vampire
Subject: Mutiny rocks PNG

Armed rebel soldiers in Papua New Guinea, some in balaclavas, were refusing to return to their barracks last night after a weekend rampage in which buildings were gutted by fire and an armoury raided.

There were graphic accounts of senior officers plunging into the ocean and swimming for safety as they were fired upon. Other officers were forced to scramble through dense mangroves.

While the commander of Moem Barracks, at Wewak in East Sepik Province, also fled, many soldiers and officers not involved in the mutiny remained on the rebel-held base.

The mutineers are angry over termination packages linked to staff cuts in the military.

A 13-point petition also demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta, and replacement of the chief of the Defence Force, Brigadier-General Peter Ilau.


General Ilau criticised elements of the command at Moem for not properly explaining the compensation packages.


He also warned that "evil forces" were at work and "dying to get their hands on those [seized] weapons and ammunition".

"It is your duty to God, Queen, country and your Defence Force to ensure that no evil force will succeed," General Ilau said.

Defence force leaders said that contact had been made with leaders of the revolt. "The renegades still have their weapons with them," the defence force chief of staff, Colonel Tom Ur, said. "They are still finalising their demands. There are about 48 of them, but about six or seven main ringleaders."

There was violent unrest at Moem in September 2000, also linked to moves to reduce the size of the PNG Defence Force.

During another mutiny in March last year, the Prime Minister was placed under heightened security after rebels at the Murray barracks in Port Moresby seized dozens of high-powered weapons.

The Australian Government, which has been the subject of protests in PNG for backing military staff cuts, expressed concern yesterday over the latest developments. "We hope order can be restored and the trouble does not spread,' a spokesman for the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, said.

"We have obviously been in contact with the Papua New Guinea Government."

Australians in the Wewak area have been officially urged by Canberra to "exercise caution".

There were local media reports yesterday that about 20 M16 and SLR weapons were taken at the weekend, but the Defence Force said there would have to be a stocktake to determine the number of firearms involved.

The strife began in the early hours of Saturday morning when shots were fired to stop loyal personnel at Moem barracks putting out a deliberately lit fire which gutted a military intelligence and administration block.

The National newspaper reported that there were shouts of "Sutim ol ofisas, sutim ol ofisas (shoot the officers, shoot the officers)".

Attempts to put out a second fire in a communications centre several hours later were again blocked and the building was destroyed.

"I am very disappointed - the buildings have nothing to do with their demands," Colonel Ur said.

Senior officers were being sent from Port Moresby to Wewak and face-to-face talks with the mutineers were expected within a couple of days.

"We will sit down and discuss it," Colonel Ur said.

"I think there are divisions among the group themselves on their demands."

He said some disgruntled soldiers thought others had "gone overboard".

Colonel Ur said soldiers with 20 years or more service were generally satisfied with termination packages being offered, but those with fewer years in the military wanted to know what they would be given.

Asked if the latest group of rebels faced punishment, Colonel Ur said; "For those involved in criminal activities, normal disciplinary action will be taken."

Questioned on when the raided firearms would be recovered, Colonel Ur said: "The sooner the better."

He said the PNG Prime Minister was being briefed daily on the attempts to restore discipline.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.