Posted by Huaitoa This is why our views and Australia's on this intervention easily struck a compatible note. This is why this intervention got the overwhelming support of this country, this is why our Parliament was able to come together for the first time in its history to agree as one on the legal part of this intervention. Our interest in this intervention is clearcut and our response has been overwhemingly unified. The real test to this unity will come when this intervention is on the ground. As for Australia's interest, we can only go by what we read from the media and what Australia has been saying. And I must say that I have been very impressed with their words. I must also admit that I have not read this ASPI report, nor the policies of Australia. What I can tell from media reports though is that what prevented Australia from responsding militarily to situations in the Pacific Islands region was its policy toward the region, a policy that they have now changed in order to deal with this country. My understanding of this old policy is that Australia could only respond with force to situations in the Pacific Islands region when its national security is directly threatened. So, the fact that it never responsed to the Solomon Islands conflict clearly showed that this conflict never pose any direct threat to the security of Australia and that its old policy will never going to be useful in this case. The fact that Australia had to change its policy also showed two things: 1) that while it was concerned about the conflict in the Solomon Islands, it was never going to do anything as long as the old policy is in place, 2) that the conflict in Solomon islands could have never developed to a stage where its old policy would be appicable. Yet Solomon Islands has been a difficult case, people are being killed and Australia just simply could not do any thing due to ploicy matters. And I believe that this is what Austrlia has been saying, that deterioration in law and order could breed drug and terrorism hubs in the Solomon Islands, a potential threat to Austrlia. But the worst part is that Australia would be blamed for allowing this to happen right under its nose. Lets not forget that the new policy that Austrlia has just approved is not only for Solomon Islands, its for the whole region. Also, there has been some uncertainty as to the political future of this country. Provinces are crying for state government, some are seeking succession, these are grievances that tend to resurface when the unity of this country is jeopardised. Australia would be concerned over the prospect of having nine small poor countries lying just to its north. One fact we must not overlook is that Australia is not only intervening militarily. It has said that it will also deal with the economy and stump out corruption. These are good intentions and we hope that this will happen. On a wider perspective, I like to think that there has been some realisation in Australia that Australia is the only country in this part of the world that have the resources to play a leading role in the wider fight against terrorism. Their involvement in recent conflicts around the world have waken them up to the fact that if they could play a greater role in the Pacific region, then they would have kept terrorism out from a third of the world's geography.
on 23/7/2003, 6:28 pm, in reply to "The Game of Media War has began in Solomon Islands"
Australia has said that the intervention is in its national interest. Our interest as a country in this same intervention lies in restoration of law and order, an end to armed criminal activities that have cripled this poor country and for this country to be up again. On face value, Australia will have to deal with our interest in order to deal with its own.
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