The deployment had been agreed to in mid-October by leaders of two armed groups, the Malaita Eagle Force (MEF) and the Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM), after Canberra sponsored talks in Townsville, Australia.

The monitors, including police, civil servants, and military personnel, are said to be unarmed but will receive full logistical support from the Australian armed forces as they move to implement provisions of the October 15 agreement on supervising the surrender of weapons by the rival forces.

Reports in the big-business media have painted a picture of "lawlessness," "destruction," and economic collapse on Guadalcanal to justify the deepening intervention.

Canberra has significant big-business interests to protect. The Australian-owned Gold Ridge gold mine suspended operations soon after a June 5 coup and its facilities have been reported to be completely ransacked. The mine is the country's biggest earner of hard currency.

The MEF carried out the coup in reaction to a wave of attacks by the IFM, which were sparked by resentment toward people originally from Malaita living on Guadalcanal. Australian warships quickly intervened, using the evacuation of foreign nationals as a pretext, but deep instability remains. Nearly 100 people have been killed in fighting on Guadalcanal in the last two years.

Doug Cooper is a member of the Maritime Union of Australia.  
 
 
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