Singirok was a career soldier who had risen through the ranks of the PNGDF, including a time as commander of the forces on Bougainville. In the mid-1990s, he was promoted to Brigadier-General, and given the position of commander. Then, in 1996, Tim Spicer, an ex-Colonel in the Scots Guards, who had recently founded the mercenary firm Sandline International, met with Singirok. Spicer attempted to persuade Singirok to support a package of military support that Spicer had negotiated with then-defence minister Mathias Ijape. Singirok declined, but the deal went ahead anyway, with the support of Ijape, Prime Minister Sir Ju ...

See also:

Jerry Singirok, Jerry Singirok - Military career, Jerry Singirok - The Sandline affair, Jerry Singirok - Dismissal and subsequent inquiry, Jerry Singirok - Legacy

Read more here: » Jerry Singirok: Encyclopedia II - Jerry Singirok - Military career

1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 1997 - Designations. International organizations, including the United Nations, designated 1997 as the International Year of the Reef. 1997 - Events. 1997 - January. January 5 - NBC's Today Show Bryant Gumbel signs off for the last time January 8 - Mister Rogers receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame January 9 - Yachts ...

Including:

• 1997 - Designations
• 1997 - Events
• 1997 - January
• 1997 - February
• 1997 - March
• 1997 - April
• 1997 - May
• 1997 - June
• 1997 - July
• 1997 - August
• 1997 - September
• 1997 - October
• 1997 - November
• 1997 - December
• 1997 - Unknown Dates
• 1997 - Fictional Events
• 1997 - Births
• 1997 - Deaths
• 1997 - January-May
• 1997 - June-August
• 1997 - September-December
• 1997 - Unknown date
• 1997 - Nobel Prizes
• 1997 - Templeton Prize

Read more here: » 1997: Encyclopedia - 1997

The German New Guinea Company established control over Bougainville and Buka, Choiseul, Shortland and Treasury Islands in 1885 but did not extend its farther control southwards in the Solomons, whose southern islands came under a British protectorate in 1893 with the eastern islands being added in 1989. In 1900, Germany transferred all of its claims in the Solomons other than Bougainville and Buka to Great Britain while Britain, in return, withdrew from Western Samoa. During World War I Australia occupied Bougainville together with the rest of German New Guinea; the League ...

See also:

History of Bougainville, History of Bougainville - Pre-history, History of Bougainville - European colonisation, History of Bougainville - Beginnings of the independence movement, History of Bougainville - Republic of North Solomons, History of Bougainville - Shutting the Panguna mine, History of Bougainville - From uprising to war of secession, History of Bougainville - Civil war, History of Bougainville - Sandline and ceasefire, History of Bougainville - Autonomy

Read more here: » History of Bougainville: Encyclopedia II - History of Bougainville - European colonisation

Singirok stated that he would accept the decision, and urged his soldiers to support his replacement. Chan stated to the media that Singirok had been neutralised and would be arrested. He also alleged that Singirok had attempted a coup, but had not had his men behind him. However, Chan's optimism turned out to be premature. The soldiers at the central Murray Barracks began to disobey orders, and police units had to be flown in from outside of the capital, Port Moresby. Two days later, a boycott of classes began at the University of Papua New ...

See also:

Sandline affair, Sandline affair - The first meetings, Sandline affair - The official dealings begin, Sandline affair - The affair becomes public, Sandline affair - The military standoff begins, Sandline affair - Prime Minister Chan resigns

Read more here: » Sandline affair: Encyclopedia II - Sandline affair - The military standoff begins

1997 - January. January 5 - NBC's Today Show Bryant Gumbel signs off for the last time January 8 - Mister Rogers receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame January 9 - Yachtsman Tony Bullimore found alive five days after his boat capsized in the Southern Ocean January 12 - The show King of the Hill first airs with its first episode entitled "Pilot." January 16 - Ennis Cosby, the only son of actor Bill Cosby, is killed by a gunman while changing a flat tire in Lo ...

See also:

1997, 1997 - Designations, 1997 - Events, 1997 - January, 1997 - February, 1997 - March, 1997 - April, 1997 - May, 1997 - June, 1997 - July, 1997 - August, 1997 - September, 1997 - October, 1997 - November, 1997 - December, 1997 - Unknown Dates, 1997 - Fictional Events, 1997 - Births, 1997 - Deaths, 1997 - January-May, 1997 - June-August, 1997 - September-December, 1997 - Unknown date, 1997 - Nobel Prizes, 1997 - Templeton Prize

Read more here: » 1997: Encyclopedia II - 1997 - Events

Ona was, in one stage of his life, employed by Bougainville Copper at the mine but he was increasingly critical of its impact on the environment and what he claimed was the low level of royalties paid the landowners. From the mid 1980's, he and others challenged the leadership of the Panguna Landowners Association (PLA) claiming that they were not representing the interests of all of the traditional landowners. By early 1988, Ona and his associates including his cousin Peputua Serero had formed the New PLA supported by both mineworker ...

See also:

Francis Ona, Francis Ona - Secessionist Leader, Francis Ona - Bougainville ceasefire, Francis Ona - Notes

Read more here: » Francis Ona: Encyclopedia II - Francis Ona - Secessionist Leader

His defence minister, Mathias Ijape, requested logistical assistance from Australia and New Zealand, in preparation for an assault on the island. However, both nations refused to provide any military assistance. The decision was then made to investigate the use of mercenaries. Through some overseas contacts, Ijape was put in contact with Tim Spicer OBE, an ex-Colonel in the Scots Guards, who had recently founded Sandline International, a company specialising ...

See also:

Sandline affair, Sandline affair - The first meetings, Sandline affair - The official dealings begin, Sandline affair - The affair becomes public, Sandline affair - The military standoff begins, Sandline affair - Prime Minister Chan resigns

Read more here: » Sandline affair: Encyclopedia II - Sandline affair - The first meetings

The immediate public stir in Australia was larger than Chan had expected. While it briefly moved the Papuan people behind the idea, the international furore also hardened the dislike that Jerry Singirok had for the Sandline deal. By the time he returned from a visit to the Philippines on February 27, his mind was made up. He condemned the government for leaving him, as head of the PNGDF, out of the loop, and condemned Spicer for having more access to the government than he did. Over the next week, he made plans for Operation Rausim Kwik (pidgin for 'get rid of them fast'). On March 8, he ask ...

See also:

Sandline affair, Sandline affair - The first meetings, Sandline affair - The official dealings begin, Sandline affair - The affair becomes public, Sandline affair - The military standoff begins, Sandline affair - Prime Minister Chan resigns

Read more here: » Sandline affair: Encyclopedia II - Sandline affair - The affair becomes public

Thus began the Sandline affair, where the Papuan government attempted to hire mercenaries to attack Bougainville. However, while negotiations with Sandline were underway, Chan ordered the military to invade anyway. Around a thousand soldiers were sent, but the attack was a disaster, and was quickly repulsed by the BRA. Within a week, they had been forced to evacuate. Soon after, a local militia group turned against the military, and massacred twelve soldiers. By 1997, Chan h ...

See also:

History of Bougainville, History of Bougainville - Pre-history, History of Bougainville - European colonisation, History of Bougainville - Beginnings of the independence movement, History of Bougainville - Republic of North Solomons, History of Bougainville - Shutting the Panguna mine, History of Bougainville - From uprising to war of secession, History of Bougainville - Civil war, History of Bougainville - Sandline and ceasefire, History of Bougainville - Autonomy

Read more here: » History of Bougainville: Encyclopedia II - History of Bougainville - Sandline and ceasefire

On January 8, 1997, Tim Spicer had his first meeting with Prime Minister Chan. Spicer succeeded in convincing Chan that Sandline could assist in retaking Bougainville before the upcoming elections. They agreed that Sandline would provide 40 special forces personnel to fight alongside PNGDF personnel. The US$36 million was never voted upon by the full Cabinet of Parliament, but instead by the secretive National Security Council. Half was to be paid up front, with the other half to follow after completion of the mission. The money came from cutbacks to a number ...

See also:

Sandline affair, Sandline affair - The first meetings, Sandline affair - The official dealings begin, Sandline affair - The affair becomes public, Sandline affair - The military standoff begins, Sandline affair - Prime Minister Chan resigns

Read more here: » Sandline affair: Encyclopedia II - Sandline affair - The official dealings begin

The mine at Panguna had been perhaps the most major sticking point between Bougainville and the mailand. It was vitally important to the economy of Papua New Guinea, but the people of Bougainville were seeing little benefit from it. Bougainvillean leaders alleged that the mine had been responsible for devastating environmental consequences. They also claimed that Bougainville Copper had set up a system of apartheid on the island, with one set of facilities for white workers, and one set for the locals. They accused Bougainville Copper Ltd., ...

See also:

History of Bougainville, History of Bougainville - Pre-history, History of Bougainville - European colonisation, History of Bougainville - Beginnings of the independence movement, History of Bougainville - Republic of North Solomons, History of Bougainville - Shutting the Panguna mine, History of Bougainville - From uprising to war of secession, History of Bougainville - Civil war, History of Bougainville - Sandline and ceasefire, History of Bougainville - Autonomy

Read more here: » History of Bougainville: Encyclopedia II - History of Bougainville - Shutting the Panguna mine

A ceasefire was arranged later in 1997 between new Prime Minister Bill Skate and Joseph Kabui with a multinational Peace Monitoring Group commencing operations on the island. The Bougainville conflict is estimated to have cost between 10,000 and 15,000 lives mainly due to disease and starvation. A tribal reconciliation process started in 2000 and appears to have been successful. The PNG promised in 2001 to hold a referendum on independence within the next ten to fifteen years. Ona was never captured and refused to participate in the process ...

See also:

Francis Ona, Francis Ona - Secessionist Leader, Francis Ona - Bougainville ceasefire, Francis Ona - Notes

Read more here: » Francis Ona: Encyclopedia II - Francis Ona - Bougainville ceasefire

1997 - January-May. January 10 - Sheldon Leonard, American producer, actor, director January 10 - Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd, Scottish chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907) January 12 - Charles B. Huggins, Canadian-born cancer researcher, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1901) January 17 - Clyde Tombaugh, American astronomer (b. 1906) January 19 - James Dickey, American poet and novelist (b. 1923) January 20 - Curt Flood, American b ...

See also:

1997, 1997 - Designations, 1997 - Events, 1997 - January, 1997 - February, 1997 - March, 1997 - April, 1997 - May, 1997 - June, 1997 - July, 1997 - August, 1997 - September, 1997 - October, 1997 - November, 1997 - December, 1997 - Unknown Dates, 1997 - Fictional Events, 1997 - Births, 1997 - Deaths, 1997 - January-May, 1997 - June-August, 1997 - September-December, 1997 - Unknown date, 1997 - Nobel Prizes, 1997 - Templeton Prize

Read more here: » 1997: Encyclopedia II - 1997 - Deaths

In May 1990, Papua New Guinea imposed a blockade on Bougainville. Francis Ona responded by unilaterally declaring independence. He set up the Bougainville Interim Government (BIG), but it had little power, and the island began to descend into anarchy. Bougainville split into several factions, and a civil war began. A militia group forced the BRA out of the island of Buka, north of Bougainville, in a bloody offensive. Multiple agreements were signed and not honored by any side. The BRA leadership of Ona and Kauona fell out with some of the po ...

See also:

History of Bougainville, History of Bougainville - Pre-history, History of Bougainville - European colonisation, History of Bougainville - Beginnings of the independence movement, History of Bougainville - Republic of North Solomons, History of Bougainville - Shutting the Panguna mine, History of Bougainville - From uprising to war of secession, History of Bougainville - Civil war, History of Bougainville - Sandline and ceasefire, History of Bougainville - Autonomy

Read more here: » History of Bougainville: Encyclopedia II - History of Bougainville - Civil war

Bougainville is rich in copper, and possibly gold. The mining of copper has been the cause of considerable tensions over the last fifty years, and has been related to both attempts at secession. In 1964, the first attempts were made to explore the island's resources, when CRA Exploration, a subsidiary of Australian company Rio Tinto Zinc, began drilling in the Panguna area. The mine, under their subsidiary, Bougainville Copper Ltd. opened in 1969. The first independence movement began to arise in the late 1960s, as people began to air ...

See also:

History of Bougainville, History of Bougainville - Pre-history, History of Bougainville - European colonisation, History of Bougainville - Beginnings of the independence movement, History of Bougainville - Republic of North Solomons, History of Bougainville - Shutting the Panguna mine, History of Bougainville - From uprising to war of secession, History of Bougainville - Civil war, History of Bougainville - Sandline and ceasefire, History of Bougainville - Autonomy

Read more here: » History of Bougainville: Encyclopedia II - History of Bougainville - Beginnings of the independence movement

On 28 May 1975, the Interim Provincial Government in Bougainville agreed to secede from Papua New Guinea. This caused a three-way impasse between the Government of PNG, the legislature in PNG, and the authorities in Bougainville. The PNG government made attempts to resolve the situation through June and July, but these failed, and the interim government announced that they would declare independence on 1 September, ahead of Papua New Guinea's own independence on 16 September. On 1 September, they issued the 'Unil ...

See also:

History of Bougainville, History of Bougainville - Pre-history, History of Bougainville - European colonisation, History of Bougainville - Beginnings of the independence movement, History of Bougainville - Republic of North Solomons, History of Bougainville - Shutting the Panguna mine, History of Bougainville - From uprising to war of secession, History of Bougainville - Civil war, History of Bougainville - Sandline and ceasefire, History of Bougainville - Autonomy

Read more here: » History of Bougainville: Encyclopedia II - History of Bougainville - Republic of North Solomons

The Papuan police, and then the army (under Jerry Singirok, who was later to be an important player in the Sandline affair) made several arrests, but Ona proved to be elusive, and they failed to catch him. Attempts to resolve the standoff continued, and Bougainville Copper continued to deny responsibility for any of the grievances of Ona and his supporters. The company suggested that the death of the flying foxes was due to a virus brought in from East New Britain, and that the river was unaffected by the mine. Nevertheless, The PNG governme ...

See also:

History of Bougainville, History of Bougainville - Pre-history, History of Bougainville - European colonisation, History of Bougainville - Beginnings of the independence movement, History of Bougainville - Republic of North Solomons, History of Bougainville - Shutting the Panguna mine, History of Bougainville - From uprising to war of secession, History of Bougainville - Civil war, History of Bougainville - Sandline and ceasefire, History of Bougainville - Autonomy

Read more here: » History of Bougainville: Encyclopedia II - History of Bougainville - From uprising to war of secession

Following the affair, Singirok was dismissed from his position. He faced several inquiries into the events. He was subsequently reappointed in 1998, but dismissed again in 2000 over the same events, after another inquiry. The 2000 inquiry found Singirok guilty of secretly receiving US$ 52,000 from arms dealer J&S Franklin through his Visa card account in the London-based Lloyds TSB. He was also found guilty of failing to obtain exemption from the Ombud ...

See also:

Jerry Singirok, Jerry Singirok - Military career, Jerry Singirok - The Sandline affair, Jerry Singirok - Dismissal and subsequent inquiry, Jerry Singirok - Legacy

Read more here: » Jerry Singirok: Encyclopedia II - Jerry Singirok - Dismissal and subsequent inquiry

On the night of March 16, Singirok's soldiers swooped. They arrested Spicer, the mercenaries, and their support staff. The next morning, Singirok went on national radio, and accused Prime Minister Chan, Defence Minister Ijape, and Deputy Prime Minister Haiveta of corruption, and gave them 48 hours to resign. He also fiercely denied allegations that he was aiming to take power himself. Chan refused to resign, and the same day, sacked Singirok as Commander of the PNGDF, repla ...

See also:

Jerry Singirok, Jerry Singirok - Military career, Jerry Singirok - The Sandline affair, Jerry Singirok - Dismissal and subsequent inquiry, Jerry Singirok - Legacy

Read more here: » Jerry Singirok: Encyclopedia II - Jerry Singirok - The Sandline affair