Challenging the State: the Sandline Affair in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

In February 1997 the Australian media disclosed that the Papua New Guinea government had engaged a private company-Sandline International-to supply mercenaries and military equipment to eliminate secessionist leaders on Bougainville island and repossess the giant Panguna mine. Events took a further dramatic turn on 17 March 1997 when the commander of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, Brigadier General Jerry Singirok, announced publicly that he would no longer cooperate with what he called the government's 'corrupt deal'. Singirok's act of defiance precipitated the most serious political crisis in Papua New Guinea's twenty two years of independence. This volume presents the impressions of a number of ANUbased scholars of Papua New Guinea politics who watched closely as these events unfolded. It also sets out a chronology of the main events and reproduces some of the key documents relating to the Sandline Affair. It will provide a useful resource to researchers and others interested in this remarkable episode in Papua New Guinea's postindependence political history.