SPECIAL REPORT: With the Rena still precariously balanced on New Zealand’s Astrolabe Reef – an environmental catastrophe that has hit the Bay of Plenty coastline – it doesn’t take much imagination to envisage the sort of damage that could be done to fragile Pacific ecosystems in the wake of a similar disaster. Special report by Kim Austin for PMC Online.
Although there has been much talk about the problem of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the Pacific over recent months, anti-landmine campaigners are worried the New Zealand government may be looking to downgrade its aid commitment to the region.
This, combined with pressure from the US government on the handful of Pacific nations yet to sign the Mine Ban Treaty, is causing concern for NGOs working in the Pacific.
At the recent Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Auckland, a talk was given about the UXO problem that still plagues vast areas of the Pacific, especially in the North West.
It highlighted many of the issues that Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, says are an unwanted legacy which must be addressed.
“There can be little doubt that World War II was a traumatic period for the many Pacific Island communities previously isolated from the turbulence of global contests,” Tuiloma says.
“Foreign military forces wreaking a path of havoc across the region used the islands as stepping stones to establish based from which to attack enemy forces in neighbouring islands.
“Introducing unprecedented levels of destruction, the Pacific Islands became one large extended battle field.”
Legacy of destruction
As traumatic as the actual war was for Pacific Island people who were forced to be bystanders to the chaos around them, too often the legacy of destruction remains.
The areas most affected by this problem are Micronesia and Melanesia, where the fighting was particularly severe.
A study prepared by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat reports that in some areas remarkably little has been made in terms of a clean-up effort.
In the Federated States of Micronesia, an area both heavily bombarded and used as a major Japanese naval base, a UXO clearance conducted as long ago as 1950 recommended follow up activities, none of which have been completed.
Neighbouring Palau has been considerably more fortunate thanks to the help of the NGO Cleared Ground Demining (CGD), which removed more than 10,000 UXO – from hand grenades to massive torpedoes – over a two-year period starting in 2009.
Jeffrey Antol, Director of Palau’s Bureau of Foreign Affairs, says despite these efforts only five percent of UXO have been removed.
“We are grateful for the work that has been done so far, but we will still have a long road ahead.”
Important role
Traditionally, New Zealand has played a small yet important role in the Pacific UXO clean-up.
The bulk of the actual clearing of weapons is undertaken by NGOs, most notably CGD, but the New Zealand Defence Force has also had a part to play.
Mary Wareham, coordinator of Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC), says she is concerned that New Zealand’s commitment may be in jeopardy in light of the government’s decision to slash funding in the area.
Crucially, the government is looking to terminate its contribution of Defence Force personnel to work with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
This service has been provided by New Zealand since 1995, and has aided with the clearance and destruction of UXO worldwide.
In a letter to the Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), Lieutenant-General Richard Rhys Jones, Wareham urges the government to rethink any funding cuts.
“In August 2011, Pacific Islands Forum leaders for the first time acknowledged the need to tackle UXO in the Pacific, describing the problem as a ‘long neglected issue’.”
“We understand that government resource constraints are the principal reason behind New Zealand’s withdrawal of support from UNMAS, but would welcome a fuller explanation.
‘Difficult times‘
“We recognise that these are difficult financial times for us all, but urge NZDF to reconsider its decision on the UNMAS contribution as mine action is a vital humanitarian activity that requires dedicated support.
“If New Zealand is serious about retaining and expanding its role as a respected and valuable UN member state (including by securing a seat on the UN Security Council), then we should demonstrate our continued support to mine action.”
A communiqué released after the forum also appears to support these aims.
As a wrap-up of the forum in general, it makes two notes about World War II ordnance and shipwrecks, both of which highlight the ongoing risks and problems caused by UXO.
“Leaders expressed concern at the continuing existence of unexploded WWII ordnance which remains a human security problem for many members, as well as a threat to public health, safety and the environment. They also recognised that UXO poses a serious obstacle to development,” the communiqué says.
“Leaders welcomed the development of the regional UXO strategy framework as a practical approach to addressing the challenges of UXO in the region and called on the assistance of relevant international bodies and development partners in addressing this long neglected issue.”
It also goes on to mention the risks posed by oil leaks from the sunken ships.
“Leaders noted the risk tot the environment poses by oil leakage from WWII shipwrecks in the region and called for the safe removal of oil from those shipwrecks such as in the Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Island and the Republic of the Marshal Islands.”
Rena oil leakage
With the Rena still precariously balanced on New Zealand’s Astrolabe Reef – an environmental catastrophe that has hit the Bay of Plenty coastline – it doesn’t take much imagination to envisage the sort of damage that could be done to fragile Pacific ecosystems in the wake of a similar disaster.
The fact that so many of these ships remain, full of oil, in Pacific waters is a also constant concern for those involved in one of the fastest growing economic activities in the region – tourism.
The theme of this year’s forum was “converting potential into prosperity”, and much was made of the economic possibilities within the Pacific.
In his opening leader’s address at the Pacific Islands Forum in September, Prime Minister John Key explained that “by potential, I mean the ability to build on the region’s many assets and resources”.
The problem is that many countries are unable to capitalise on potential tourism due to the deadly legacy of UXO which pose a risk not just to the local population, but also to visitors.
A recent case where a Japanese tourist was severely wounded by a hand grenade in Palau highlights the sort of problems these places face when attempting to develop tourism on land riddled with unexploded weapons.
Mary Wareham says that New Zealand has always played an important role in both UXO clean-up and also the negotiation of the Mine Ban Treaty in 1997, as well as subsequent efforts to encourage other states to join.
“New Zealand was involved in the core group of states that led the negotiation of the Mine Ban Treaty back in 1997, and it was also in the core group that led the negotiations to create the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2008.
Disarmament ambassadors
“Politically it plays a very central role in both conventions particularly through our disarmament ambassadors in Geneva and also through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Disarmament Division.
“Other departments in the New Zealand government have been involved as well because these are not just disarmament treaties but humanitarian issues. You’ve got provisions requiring victim assistance, clearance of land mines, cluster bombs and unexploded ordnance.”
Wareham says that as well as providing much needed assistance in the area, New Zealand also benefits from the exercises.
“For the defence part of it, it’s a very important training and capacity building opportunity to send New Zealand Defence Force personnel overseas, both to teach others how to deal with ordnance and also for themselves to have some real life experience.
“It also creates a niche for us as a valued international player.”
She is concerned that withdrawing Defence Force personnel from UNMAS will undermine the valuable work being done in the Pacific and internationally.
In a letter to the Chief of the Defence Force, Wareham expresses disappointment that New Zealand has “pulled the plug” on what she says is a unique contribution we’ve made over the last 16 years.
“I think it’s a resourcing issue, but New Zealand has managed to both contribute funding and help in the field as well as do this UN leadership contribution every year for the last 16 years. So I don’t know what’s changed in the last couple of months but it sounds like cost cutting.
‘Bigger story’
“It’s part of the bigger story of the New Zealand government aid cutbacks and our contribution overall.
“You know we talk about wanting to get a seat on the Security Council and we’re withdrawing the support.”
However, Minister of Defence Wayne Mapp says New Zealand is not lessening commitment to international UXO clean-up efforts, but rather deploying it elsewhere.
“The government remains committed to international de-mining activities. In the past, New Zealand Defence Force personnel have been involved in de-mining in Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, Cambodia, Laos and Lebanon.
“The Government has recently signalled that it will give $2.8 million towards a new programme in the West Bank, which may include NZDF personnel.
“The NZDF is withdrawing the staff member posted to the United Nations Mine Action Service. This does not mean any lessening of the Government’s commitment, as the above initiative shows.”
The Defence Force is also currently involved in a project using sonar mapping to locate wrecked ships in Papua New Guinea.
Capturing images
The HMNZS Resolution had been capturing images of ships and sunken aircraft using 3D sonar equipment.
The area scanned, Simpson Harbour in Rabaul, was the scene of a major allied bombing campaign during World War II, and contains significant amounts of UXO.
As well as this exercise, the HMNZS Wellington has joined an Australian Defence Force led team to help with the ordnance disposal along with a local team of experts.
Defence Force communications spokeswoman Kirsty Taylor-Doig says this is a first for New Zealand.
“The New Zealand Defence Force’s current operation in Papua New Guinea is the first time that we have done this.
“The operation is an Australian led initiative and they have conducted previous ops in the Pacific.”
But Wareham says there is more to New Zealand’s commitment to the Pacific than just UXO recovery.
“It’s also about the treaties. We promote the conventions because they’re the framework for getting rid of not just landmines and cluster bombs but all unexploded ordnance.
“That’s why they’re important and that’s why we need Pacific participation in them.”
Two treaties
There are currently two treaties concerning UXO that are operational in the Pacific, the Mine Ban Treaty (1997) and the Convention on Cluster Munitions (2008).
While a number of countries are yet to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions, thanks to the recent addition of Tuvalu only three Pacific nations are not party to the Mine Ban Treaty – Tonga, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
Although Wareham predicts Tonga is not far away from signing.
“The Mine Ban Treaty special envoy went to Tonga earlier this month to talk about the treaty and got some positive signs back, so we’re hoping they will join next as well as Tuvalu.
“The Mine Ban Treaty meeting is in Phnom Penh in one month’s time. I really hope that Pacific nations go and that we get a good result on Tonga.”
But Wareham is not so confident about FSM or the Marshall Islands, which has a Compact of Free Association with the US.
A US Department of State cable released by Wikileaks shows that pressure has been put on the Marshall Islands not to join the Land Mine Treaty, claiming “accession to the Ottawa Convention [Mine Ban Treaty] would be problematic if the United States needed to store anti-personnel landmines at these sites”.
Cable warning
The cable goes on to suggest that joining the ban could even be in contradiction to the Compact of Free Association.
“Adherence of RMI to the Ottawa Convention would contradict the provisions of sections 311-313 of our Compact, as it is possible that the United States could determine that the use of Anti-personnel landmines could be necessary to fulfil its obligations to defend RMI.”
Again, the cable cites the Compact as a reason the US “requests” the Marshall Island not to sign, and offers a watered-down version in the form of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, Amended Protocol II, which places “restrictions” on the use of landmines.
“If the Government of RMI would like to join an international convention on landmines, the United States government requests that the Government of RMI consider acceding to CCW AMP, rather than the Ottawa Convention in order to be more consistent with the Compact of Free Association.”
Wareham says although this seems polite enough, there is considerable weight behind the words.
“A lot of the time the cables say we’re just giving you this information and you can make up your own mind, but you know, when it’s the US talking you kinda shut up and listen.
Despite these concerns, Wareham says it’s good to see the UXO problem addressed by New Zealand, but there is still a lot of work to do.
“For years we’ve talked to Foreign Affairs about trying to get some action on these issues in the forum and have really been told not to bother.
“I think what we saw with the language in the communiqué this year on the UXO problem, and the need to tackle it, is a result of the work Palau and the other Governments in the Pacific have done on this.
“Now that it’s in the communiqué New Zealand needs to respond to it and be supportive of it. It’s about funding and it’s about making sure it’s part of the work overall in the Pacific.”
Kim Austin is a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies (Journalism) student on the Asia-Pacific Journalism course at AUT University.
Pacific warfare long over, but deadly legacy of weapons still troublesome
Asia-Pacific Journalism
