Protests have erupted in Papua New Guinea after the nation signed a defence and maritime security pact with the United States.
The pact was signed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marabe on the margins of the US-Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Port Moresby on Monday.
Student demonstrations were reported from Papua New Guinea’s second-largest city Lae, with protestors questioning the reliability of Washington as a security partner.
According to Blinken, the new “Defense Cooperation Agreement” was a step towards “promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Pacific region”.
“The agreement will also make it easy for PNG and U.S. forces to train together in new ways and in more places as part of our joint effort to uphold peace and security across the Indo-Pacific,” Blinken suggested.
Further, the pact would allow PNG’s defense forces and the US Coast Guard to “deepen cooperation to combat illicit maritime activities, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing”.
‘Uneasiness’ in Papua New Guinea Over the Defense Pact
However, the federal opposition in Papua New Guinea has warned that entering into such an agreement with the US could pose a risk to the nation’s “sovereignty”.
Leader of Opposition Joseph Lelang said that the aspects of the pact must be debated in Parliament, particularly those relating to providing immunity from “criminal prosecution” to members of the US military who visit Papua New Guinea in the future.
He also said that the court won’t hesitate to “review” the agreement.
Lelang has previously said that “sketchy” defence pact has created a “lot of confusion” and “uneasiness” in the country as to what it “means for us”.
As reported by Nikkei Asian Review this month, the US-Papua New Guinea defence pact would allow American troops to access the Pacific nation’s ports and airports.
The signing of the pact comes amid growing concerns over the militarization of the Pacific region amid Washington’s attempts to curb Beijing’s growing influence in the island nations.
Last year, China signed a security cooperation pact with the Solomon Islands, which triggered concerns in Australia, New Zealand as well as the US, which has been the pre-eminent power in the south Pacific since World War II.