PNG leader accepts army petition

Papua New Guinea soldiers in the capital Port Moresby

In this story: Economic reform strategy Bystanders, journalists attacked RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Ian McMinn
Special to CNN

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (CNN) -- Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta met troops Thursday in a signal that the army mutiny is ending.

Morauta received a petition of grievances from the troops' commander, Brigadier-General Carl Marlpo.

He welcomed the return to normalcy at the army barracks in Port Moresby, especially the decision by the troops to begin handing back weapons they had taken earlier.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, Morauta said he had already begun to consider the soldiers' petition and would respond to it after careful assessment.

The prime minister's action followed extensive talks between Defense Minister Kilroy Genia and military officers and government officials in the preceding 24 hours.

"It's been about knocking off some of the rough edges," a Prime Ministerial aide told CNN, shortly before the petition document was finalised.

The uprising was ignited when reports, leaked to the media, outlined a plan to cut the army back to 2000 troops, or approximately half of what it is now. The mutineers wanted all reforms and cutbacks revoked, something which the PNG Government has agreed to do.

Economic reform strategy

PNG soldiers riot Tuesday after the Prime Minister refuses to meet them

The cutbacks were one part of an overall economic strategy imposed on PNG by foreign aid and development agencies, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

But within hours of the uprising the Prime Minister had backed down, ditching the reforms, promising no action would be taken against the mutineers and blaming his government for failing to properly inform the defense force of its plans.

During the conflict, Morauta consistently refused to meet army mutineers and accept a petition of their grievances, despite offering them a general amnesty. He said he would accept any petition only through his Defense Minister.

The Prime Minister said late Tuesday no action would be taken against any soldiers involved in the various incidents since weapons were seized last week in protest against moves to reduce the Army by half.

Bystanders, journalists attacked

A meeting between the Papuan New Guinea Defense Force representatives and Defense Minister Genia on Tuesday ended in a riot when the Prime Minister failed to attend.

The meeting was aimed at ending a standoff that followed the troop mutiny last week. However violence broke out with bystanders and journalists being attacked and a public address system destroyed. Military police intervened and escorted people to safety.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer have both warned that any threat to the Government in PNG would be viewed very seriously, although there is no suggestion yet that Australia would send troops to the region.

The mutiny comes almost four years to the day since a PNG army rebellion over the hiring of mercenaries --- the so-called Sandline affair -- resulted in the toppling of then Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan.

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PNG Post-Courier

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