A Matter of Conscience: Operation Rausim Kwik authored by Jerry Singirok. Twenty years on from the abrupt ending of his military career, Jerry Singirok has had much time to ruminate on the past. Another strength of his manuscript is, in my view, the extent to which he does stand back and reflect, often quite critically, about his own decisions, as well as more broadly about politics, leadership, corruption, faith, family and many other facets of public and personal life in PNG.
A Matter of Conscience: Operation Rausim Kwik
RAE KATAHA SMART – posted on PNG Attitude Blog
A Matter of Conscience: Operation Rausim Kwik by Major-General Jerry Singirok, Partridge Publishing, Singapore, February 2022, 636 pages. Available from Amazon: hardcover $100, paperback $72.95 or email Rae Smart here for more information
TEWANTIN QLD – At last the book by Major-General Jerry Singirok on the Bougainville conflict and the Sandline Affair, ‘Operation Rausim Kwik’, has just been released.
Written from the unique perspective of former Army commander Jerry Singirok, the book is a no holds barred account of a mutiny.
It tells the story of Jerry Singirok’s bold response when Sandline mercenaries, engaged by the government of then prime minister Sir Julius Chan who was intent on winning the civil war in Bougainville, were stopped in their tracks, potentially saving thousands of lives.
Singirok tells the story leading up to this event and relates what happened when, as defence force commander in 1997, he defied Chan’s orders, and successfully acted to stop the Sandline mercenaries.
Singirok was dismissed and faced a number of inquiries, one of which reinstated him in 1998.
But, dissatisfied, the government called another inquiry and he was dismissed again in 2000 facing a number of charges including sedition.
In March 2004, he was cleared of all charges except sedition, and his military career was over.
More recently, Jerry Singirok has been outspoken against Australian intervention in the Pacific, particularly the deployment of forces to the Solomon Islands.
He has accused Australia of imperialism and also suggested that Papua New Guinea risks becoming a failed state.
As you might expect, his book is well written, revelatory and a real page-turner.
The book also covers other aspects of Singirok’s life, including what influenced as a youth and a young man.
It describes his career as a professional soldier in the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, and what happened when, after the drama of the Sandline Affair, he had to reconstruct his life.
I’m assisting Major-General Jerry Singirok pro bono as what he’s written is more than a book to have on your shelf, it’s a real lesson in life.
He has arranged to have a limited number of the first editions in Australia. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, you can also email me here.
