The Pacific should be worried about the growing militarisation of the ocean and the risk that island countries could be drawn into future conflict between larger powers.
Retired academic and founding member of Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), Dr Claire Slatter raised the concern yesterday while speaking on security threats facing the region.
Dr Slatter said the issue was not only about conflict between powerful countries, but also the weakening of international law and multilateralism, which she said had been contributed to by the Trump administration.
“This breakdown was already being reflected in countries going to war and acting outside international law,” Dr Slatter said.
“It has opened our eyes to what has been happening under the sea, which we describe as the hyper-militarisation of the ocean.”
Dr Slatter referred to the “stealth submarines” and “unmanned underwater vehicles” which are now part of the ocean security environment, with some systems playing not only a surveillance role but also an active role in hostilities.
She said this had serious implications for Pacific Island countries because the Pacific Ocean could become a future theatre of conflict.
Dr Slatter also linked the issue to AUKUS, the security agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“But it has implications, not only implications for the region.
“However there are bilateral treaties that Australia has been making with Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Nauru.”
According to Dr Slatter, these agreements could expose Pacific countries to being drawn into wider strategic and military tensions.
“These are the things we’re facing at the moment, and they are very, very large issues which concern us and scare us.”
