News24.com
13/09/2006 22:20 - (SA)
Sydney - Australia says it is not the sheriff of the South Pacific, but complaints over a rebel jailbreak in East Timor and riots in the Solomon Islands are putting its new activist foreign policy to the test.
In both countries Australia has troops or police on the ground in a peacekeeping role, and in both cases it has been blamed for failures that plunged them deeper into crisis.
Prime Minister John Howard has reacted angrily to the charges, but analysts said on Wednesday he should expect increasing criticism as he follows through with the "Howard doctrine" of greater intervention in the region.
'Cop the flak'
"This is part of growing up in foreign policy terms and you've got to cop the flak sometimes, that's just one of the costs," said University of Sydney security analyst Alan Dupont.
"One of the problems in taking a more active approach under the so-called Howard doctrine is we are going to suffer the consequences every time something goes wrong in one of these states and it's difficult to get any kudos," he told AFP.
Australia's responsibility
Howard has made it clear that he believes Australia, as the most powerful country in a region of tiny and impoverished island nations, has a responsibility to help them maintain stability.
He announced last month that the army would be boosted by 2 600 troops and the federal police force by 400 to cope with increasing international deployments.
But he rejected suggestions that he aspired to be the region's sheriff.
"Can I just place on the record my rejection of the proposition that Australia has become the sheriff of the Pacific," he told reporters.
Solomon Islands
On Wednesday, however, a clearly annoyed Howard said he would not accept Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's expulsion of Canberra's high commissioner over an inquiry into rioting and for meddling in internal politics.
"We don't accept for a moment the expulsion of our high commissioner Patrick Cole," Howard told national radio, setting the stage for a diplomatic showdown.
"He was doing the right thing, he was representing the interests of Australia, he was concerned about corruption in the Solomon Islands," he said.
East Timorese jailbreak
Australia was also blamed by the East Timorese Prime Minister Ramos Horta for a jailbreak last month which saw rebel military officer Alfredo Reinado walk out of prison with 56 others.
Howard and foreign minister Alexander Downer strenuously denied the charge, saying responsibility for prison security was in the hands of the East Timorese.
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quinta-feira, setembro 14, 2006
'Sheriff' Australia under fire
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O 'Sheriff' Austrália sob fogo
News24.com
13/09/2006 22:20 - (SA)
Sydney – A Austrália diz que que não é o sheriff do Pacífico Sul, mas queixas sobre uma fuga da prisão de amotinados em Timor-Leste e motins nas Ilhas Salomão estão a testar a sua nova política estrangeira activista.
Em ambos os países a Austrália tem tropas ou polícias no terreno num papel de manutenção de paz, e em ambos os casos tem sido acusada por falhanços que os mergulharam em crises mais profundas.
O Primeiro-Ministro John Howard reagiu zangado às acusações, mas analistas disseram na Quarta-feira que ele deve esperar criticismo crescente quando ele continua com a "doutrina Howard doctrine" de maior intervenção na região.
'Artilhem o guarda'
"Isto faz parte do crescimento em termos de política estrangeira e às vezes terá de artilhar o guarda, é simplesmente um dos custos," disse o analista de segurança da Universidade de Sydney, Alan Dupont.
"Um dos problemas de assumir um contacto mais activo sob a chamada doutrina Howard é que vamos sofrer as consequências de cada vez que algo corre mal num desses países e é difícil ter algum respeito," disse à AFP.
A responsabilidade da Austrália
Howard tornou claro que acredita que a Austrália, sendo o país mais poderoso numa região de pequenas e empobrecidas nações ilhas, tem uma responsabilidade de ajudá-las a manter a estabilidade.
Anunciou o mês passado que as forças armadas serão aumentadas em 2 600 tropas e a força da polícia federal em 400 para responder a crescentes destacamentos internacionais.
Mas rejeitou sugestões que aspirava a o sheriff da região.
"Quero deixar registado a minha rejeição da afirmação de a Austrália se ter tornado o sheriff do Pacifico," disse a repórteres.
Ilhas Solomão
Na Quarta-feira, contudo, um claramente aborrecido Howard disse que não aceitará a expulsão pelo Primeiro-Ministro Salomão Manasseh Sogavare do Alto Comissário de Canberra por causa de um inquérito sobre motins e por interferir nas políticas internas.
"Não aceitamos no momento a expulsão do nosso Alto Comissãrio Patrick Cole," disse Howard na rádio nacional, montando o palco para uma representação diplomática.
"Ele estava a fazer a coisa certa, ele estava a representar os interesses da Austrália, ele estava preocupado com a corrupção nas Ilhas Salomão," disse.
Fuga de prisão Timorense
A Austrália foi também acusada pelo Primeiro-Ministro Timorense Ramos Horta por uma fuga da prisão no mês passado que viu o oficial amotinado Alfredo Reinado sair da prisão com outros 56.
Howard e o ministro dos estrangeiros Alexander Downer negaram a acusação energicamente, dizendo que a responsabilidade da segurança da prisão estava nas mãos dos Timorenses
Who could forget the spirit with which the Australian crowd cried out for their olympiads "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi". But the Timorese will remember another crowd rousing cry: "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oil Oil Oil".
"Howard has made it clear that he believes Australia, as the most powerful country in a region of tiny and impoverished island nations, has a responsibility to help them maintain stability."
No problem with the theory behind the above staement whatsoever. Large and developed nations have such responsibilities indeed. History proves however that seldom though are they exercised responsibly and with good will. My problem is the neo-colonialist motivation which has nothing to do with the interests of the "impoverished island nations" and their rights and their well being, but more to do with Australia's interests which are promoted only thorugh a dominant relationship with these nations, and keeping them well and truly under Australia's dominant check in every respect, whether it be diplomatically, economically or control of vital energy resources as in the case of East Timor, where it is seeking to have control of the Timor Sea, which is one of the world's largest and fastest growing gas producing maritime provinces. So, all good to use such flowery terms as "responsibility", if that is the actual intent, but it is clearly taking shape as appearing to be just a guise to push a neo-colonialist and domination oriented foreign policy to entrech Australian interests, which indeed is very "activist". Beware the negatives which come to a nation pursuing its own form of Pax Americana (here Pax Australianis) foreign policy.
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