The Opposition has made itself clear that it will not support the ratification of the defence agreements signed between the United States of America (USA) and Papua New Guinea (PNG), citing its implications to the country’s foreign policy interests and standing in the pacific region, and the sovereignty of the country.
Opposition Leader Joseph Lelang when giving his statement during grievance debate in parliament, in response to the ministerial statement by Prime Minister James Marape on the Defence Cooperation Agreement and the Ship Rider Agreement, plainly stated that the agreements would bring PNG into the geopolitical fold of the current tension between US and China in the pacific region, putting PNG at risk should a conflict breaks out between the two super power states.
The rivalry between China and United States is both military and economic; we as a nation are caught up in it by signing this Defence Cooperation Agreement, said Lelang.
He said that PNG has no interest in this geopolitical matter and that the countrys priorities lie else where and that should be the focus of the government.
Our priority is not big power rivalries; our people want jobs, better infrastructure. We are most vulnerable to climate change, our people are affected.
Lelang also said the countrys political standing in the pacific has been marred by these defence agreements, especially in terms of making the pacific nuclear free.
We have harmed our international relations with the pacific island states when we turned our backs on our international commitments to the Raratonga Treaty and the Treaty of Non- Proliferation of Nuclear weapons, the Opposition Leader further stressed.
This is the tragedy caused by this government when it signed the military agreements with the United States.
He added that if the government is serious in beefing up the defence force to a level where it will be capable to provide better security for the countrys borders and protection of the resources, then the focus should be on increasing the defence budget each year to support the military.
The defence agreements with the US should not be seen as the better way of doing things.
This agreement directly contravenes our foreign policy intent and the Opposition has resolved not to support these defence agreements with the United States, we feel it was badly negotiated and we lose as a party to these agreements, Lelang said.
We will be studying these agreements further and we will not hesitate to go to the courts to have these agreements thrown out, if theyre illegal or unconstitutional.