The following articles were published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, March 28th, 2001. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. CPA Central Committee: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "The Guardian": <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au> Subscription rates on request. ****************************** Papua New Guinea Rebellion against IMF, Australian Govt. policies The revolt by PNG soldiers and demonstrations by thousands of students last week are signals that the people of this former Australian colony have joined the world-wide struggle against the policies being imposed by the IMF, the World Bank and imperialist governments. The demands presented by the soldiers to the pro-IMF Prime Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta, include the cancellation of a decision to cut the PNG armed forces by 50 per cent, the expulsion of the military attaches of Australia and New Zealand and the reconvening of the PNG parliament which has been suspended for six months by the Prime Minister. The students have demanded that the representatives of the IMF and World Bank be expelled and the "reform" program imposed by these bodies be ended. The IMF program calls for the wholesale privatisation of public<%-3> services such as electricity, telecommunications and water supply. Similar programs imposed on other Third World countries have brought disastrous results for the people. By offering IMF loans as the price for the implementation of these policies, the banks effectively put the country in a straitjacket by which they continue to control and dominate its economy and political life. The Australian Government fully supports IMF policies and pressures other governments in the region to implement them. Australian private companies have large-scale investments in PNG resources such as minerals and timber which are being worked by low-paid and mostly unorganised workers. The rip, tear and drag policies of these companies have already created several serious environmental problems for PNG. PNG workers and soldiers exist on about 60c per hour. The government rejected a wages board decision that the basic wage be lifted by 160 per cent out of hand. At the same time a big increase in the salaries of politicians, although also vetoed by the Prime Minister, is being paid during the period that the government has been suspended. The suspension of parliamentary sittings until July means that this wages decision cannot be overridden until it meets. It also prevents a likely motion of no-confidence in the government being presented. One of the demands of the students is that the government resigns. The intervention of a so-called Eminent Persons Group made up of representatives of Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica, and its recommendation that the PNG Defence Forces be cut by 50 percent have contributed to the rising resentment towards Australia and New Zealand. This outside group is obviously attempting to lend weight to the policies desired by the Australian and New Zealand Governments. The Defence White Paper published by the Australian Government last year, in a veiled threat says: "Australian assistance to help stabilise the PNG Defence Force in the short term will be linked to long-term reform of the force". The Australian Government attempted to broaden responsibility for this injunction by having the "Eminent Persons Group" recommend what the Defence White Paper had in mind. Strident comments by Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer, have also contributed to anti-Australian sentiments. Mr Downer, in lecturing tones, declared that "people in PNG should understand that neither Australia nor the international community will tolerate action taken in PNG which is unconstitutional and trying to force the government down the barrel of a gun to relinquish office." In true imperialist style Downer threatened international sanctions and has not ruled out sending in Australian troops. By "international community" Downer has in mind the IMF the World Bank, foreign investors and Australia's big brother, the US. Prime Minister Howard was also quick to back up PNG's Prime Minister who is a former banker, offering to "provide whatever practical support we could" to back the PNG Government. This is in sharp contrast to the Australian Government's failure to back the illegally dismissed Prime Minister of Fiji, Mahendra Choudry. The difference is that Fiji Prime Minister was pursuing progressive policies. By continuing to implement colonialist style policies in the region, Australian Governments will further intensify tension in the region which is being known as a region of "instability". But the instability is being exacerbated by the Government's policies, leading to Australia's increasing isolation and bad name. While demanding that the PNG Defence Forces be halved, the Australian Government is boosting Australia's military forces by an additional $23.5 billion in the next 10 years. Following the stand of PNG's military leaders against the hiring of foreign mercenaries to fight in Bougainville in 1997, which resulted in them being forced out, the Australian Government has drawn the conclusion that PNG's military can no longer be trusted to do as they are told by imperialist Australia. Consequently, Australian military forces are being boosted to intervene when the interests of the big corporations become seriously threatened. The issues behind the rebellion and the opposition movement of students and workers will not be resolved until PNG has a government which throws out the policies of the IMF and resists all attempts by Australia or any other government to override its independence and sovereignty. As America's trusted deputy sheriff in the region, the next crisis may well see an attempted military intervention by an Australian government which would have long-term and grave consequences for the Australian people. ********************************************************* -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:ART: PNG: REBELLI0N AGAINST IMF, AUST. GOVT POLICIES
Communist Party of Australia Thu, 29 Mar 2001 04:05:13 -0800
