PIR: PNG MILITARY EQUIPMENT STILL HELD IN AUSTRALIA


Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit

source:N.Braumann@tu-bs.de  Tue Oct 21 05:11:10 1997

http://pidp.ewc.hawaii.edu/PIReport/October%201997/10-20-04.html


PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

Pacific Islands Development Program/Center for Pacific Islands Studies

PNG MILITARY EQUIPMENT STILL HELD IN AUSTRALIA

CANBERRA, Australia (October 17, 1997 - PACNEWS)---Australia is still
holding military equipment that was originally bound for the aborted
Papua New Guinea mercenary operation on Bougainville more than six
months ago.

Four Russian-built helicopters, weapons and ammunition are among the
items being stored under guard at the Tindal Air Force Base in the
Northern Territory.

An Australian Defense Force spokesman said the PNG government had
recently sought Australia's help in obtaining an independent valuation
of the military equipment. Australia had provided the name of a
consultant, he said and it now is up to the PNG government to decide
whether it should go ahead with the valuation.

Ownership of the arms shipment is still an issue between the PNG
government and Sandline, the supplying organization. Final resolution
of the problem could involve lengthy litigation, the spokesman noted.
 
=================================================================
  NY Transfer News Collective   *   A Service of Blythe Systems 
           Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us          
              339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012             
  http://www.blythe.org                  e-mail: nyt@blythe.org 
=================================================================
 
nytpac-10.21.97-17:21:41-27102