US troops deployment doc. out; PNG sovereignty called into question
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The agreement will allow the United States to have full access to key facilities in Papua New Guinea including airports and naval bases.
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US Secretary of State Tony Blinken (L) at the signing ceremony with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape (C) and Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki in May 2023 (AFP)
The United States Army will have "unimpeded access" to Papua New Guinea military bases, including the deployment of American troops and the stationing of hardware and equipment, as part of Washington's anti-China hostile growing presence in the Pacific.
The 15-year security pact, signed in May and presented to PNG's parliament on Wednesday, was obtained by AFP, where the agency revealed that the US will also have "exclusive use" of some base areas where "construction activities" could be conducted.
“The defence cooperation was drafted by the United States and Papua New Guinea as equals and sovereign partners,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a signing ceremony on Monday.
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The Oceania country, which sits on an abundance of natural resources, is located in a key geopolitical zone near critical shipping routes.
Key airports will so be fully accessible by the American troops, as well as marine bases, such as the Lombrum naval base on Manus Island and the seaport in the country's capital Port Moresby.
China has repeatedly warned the US about hyper-militarizing the region and destabilizing its security, but Washington is still expanding in the Asia and Indo-Pacific region as part of its hostile agenda against Beijing.
The deal did not pass easily as it witnesses wide protests and came under criticism over the breach of PNG's sovereignty, however, Prime Minister James Marape safeguarded the deal against public and political opposition.
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"We have allowed our military to be eroded in the last 48 years," he said to the parliament on Wednesday evening. "Sovereignty is defined by the robustness and strength of your military."
Former prime minister Peter O'Neill slammed the deal with the Americans and warned that the United States is only considering their interests, which do not align with PNG's security as it will become stuck in the middle of a war between two superpowers.
"America is doing it for the protection of their own national interest, we all understand the geopolitics happening within our region," he said.
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Papua New Guinea 'sold itself'
Deputy Director at the Australia Pacific Security College stated he was "very concerned" about the agreement.
"US military has, it seems unrestricted access to the territory of PNG," Henry Ivarature told the US broadcaster ABC.
"The terms are so wide they encompass all areas of PNG."
Ivarature added that certain details aspects of the deal were "unbelievable", particularly the free access it gave US military personnel in the country.
"It reads to me as if PNG has sold itself and its sovereignty to the US," he said.
"I also expect protests and public demonstrations once the public learn of the extent PNG has 'potentially' lost in terms of its territory and sovereignty in the agreement."
