‘U.S.’ yacht lands guns for rebels

Press, 6 August 1980, Page 8

‘U.S.’ yacht lands guns for rebels

INZPA-Reuter Port Vila An unidentified yacht had .landed a cargo believed to ibe arms on the rebel island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu, a Government spokesman said yesterday. Mr John Beasant, spokesman for the Prime Minister (the Rev. Walter Lini) said security forces knew that! the yacht landed some days, ago and landed a consignment. “It would appear it was almost certainly arms, we believe World War IT American carbines,” he said. He gave no more details about the yacht or its cargo. I But a senior British miliitary officer in Vanuatu said ‘earlier that the yacht was ’ American and had come from Hawaii.

He believed that standard United States Army-issue Ml 6 automatic rifles were

among the consignment. “If they are Ml6s we are in deep trouble,” he said. Britain and France, the :two outgoing colonial i powers, sent 200 troops to Santo two weeks ago in a bid to end a two-month secessionist rebellion.

But despite the continuing presence of the troops the situation has deteriorated seriously since Vanuatu gained independence last Wednes-’ day. . J

In the last few days the rebels have dynamited two important road bridges and burned down two buildings in an agricultural school. The rebel leader, Mr Jimmv Stevens, is backed by armed French settlers and the Phoenix Foundation, a Right-wing American organisation interested in setting up a tax-free haven on an independent Santo. More than 40 armed not police, backed by other policemen, flew to Santo yesterday as the Vanuatu Government tried to extend its authority on the island. Mr Beasant said Parliament would formalise today the presence of the AngloFrench force on Santo and the Government would then ask the troops to "take cer-

tain actions.” He said that this would entail the troops, so far con-

fined to Santo’s main town of Luganville, moving into the country against the rebels. “It would be remarkable if the Government did not make this request . . - it would lose its credibility with the people if it didn’t,”

; he said. The French Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr Olivier Stirn) said yesterday that • I French troops would not do I police work.. Diplomatic

sources said Britain was tml ing the same line over ifi contingent. In Port Moresby the Papua New Guinea Government was frustrated yesterday in its attempt to gain Parliamentary approval to send a peace-keeping force of up to 300 troops to Vanuatu.

At a special emergency sitting of Parliament, the Opposition, led by Mr Michael Somare. refused to back the . Government’s move, and the bill, moved by the Prime Minister (Sir Julius Chan) failed for lack of numbers.

The Home Affairs Minister (Mr Fred Timakata) said on Monday night that he would use P.N.G. troops against the rebels if necessary. Both Mr Beasant and Mr Timakata said the latest developments had cast strong, doubts on an earlier proposal to offer an amnesty to the rebels.

Diplomats said yesterday that Mr Stevens had appeared ready to accept the authority of Father Lini’s Government in response to an Anglo-French initiative shortly before independence. “But those behind him went very firm and sour at the last minute,” one of them said, without elaborating.