Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin fears nuclear weapons could arrive under PNG’s naval deal with Australia, US

The Governor of Manus says he fears nuclear weapons could be brought to his province under PNG’s naval deal with the US and Australia.

Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin in 2017. Picture: Brian Cassey

Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin says he fears nuclear weapons could be brought to his province under Papua New Guinea’s deal for a joint naval base on the island with the United States and Australia, with “unimaginable consequences” for his people.

Mr Benjamin said neither Australia nor the United States had approached him to discuss the Lombrum base redevelopment following a trilateral deal sealed five weeks ago, leaving the Manus community in the dark over the plan.

Mr Benjamin told The Australian he and his constituents were worried about what the base would mean for the island, after the “negative effects” arising from Australia’s regional refugee processing arrangements.

“Up until now I haven’t had any discussion with Australia or the United States. And even the Government of Papua New Guinea has not said much, except to say ‘We will be talking with you later on’.

“We want to know what is happening. How soon will they come to us? How big will it be? Will they use the airport? Will there be nuclear (weapons) here? We just do not have any idea.”

He said the lessons from US bases in Okinawa (Japan) and Subic Bay (The Philippines) suggested Manus should “steer clear of being used as a base for the USA military”.

The US base in Subic Bay base closed in the early 90s amid strident local opposition to the facility, while the base at Okinawa, which houses 54,000 US personnel, continues to operate despite concerns over noise, accidents and crime involving American troops.

But PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s office told The Australian that “the benefits for the people of Manus are very clear”, and the national government was in ongoing discussions with the provincial administration.

“Investment in the development of the facility will be substantial,” he said. “This will lead to even further expansion of infrastructure and increased employment on Manus.”

An Australian Defence Force spokesman said Australia was relying on the PNG government to “conduct internal consultations” with Manus officials on the base. “As this is a PNG-led initiative, Australia is engaging, with the United States, at the invitation of the PNG Government,” the spokesman said.

Mr Benjamin said he believed there might be “some good” aspects of the facility, but the possibility of nuclear weapons being stored on Manus was “a real concern”, and his local community needed to be consulted on the risks associated with the facility.

“We are insignificant to Australia, to the United States. The people of those countries might be safe, and we could be caught in the middle of something that has nothing to do with us all.”

Mr Benjamin, who is a member of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s majority government, said a coalition of influential Manus citizens, including locals and expatriates, was seeking more information on the base from the O’Neill government.

He said the decision to use Manus for offshore refugee processing, which was also made without first consulting the Manus community, had damaged the island’s social fabric while delivering few long-term benefits.

He said refugees were “roaming around looking for young ladies on a daily basis”, while marijuana usage had surged in recent years.

The Australia n revealed in September that Mr O’Neill and Mr Turnbull discussed the joint redevelopment of the Lombrum base on Manus at a July 11 meeting in Brisbane.

The agreement, which counters Chinese military ambitions in the South Pacific, was officially announced on November 1, with United States Vice President Mike Pence revealing two week’s later that the US would be part of the deal.

In last week’s recent Mid-Year Financial Outlook, the Morrison government opted to keep secret the cost of Australia’s commitment to developing the facility, leaving open the possibility of a major investment in the base over the next four years.