[TimorLesteStudies] International Conference - Security in the South Pacific Region

[jennifer.drysdale at anu.edu.au]

Enquiries about this conference should be directed to: 
chris.gallavin at canterbury.ac.nz

> From: "Susan Harris" <harriss at law.anu.edu.au>
> Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:37:34 +1000
> -----
> 
> one for the list?
> 
> Security in the South Pacific Region 
> Civil Disorder and the Military; a legal minefield? 
> An International Conference Organised by the Armed Forces Law
> Association of New Zealand in conjunction with the School of Law,
> University of Canterbury, New Zealand
> Christchurch, New Zealand, 4 - 6 April 2008
> Call For Papers
> Internal disturbances in the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Fiji, East Timor,
> Bougainville and Papua New Guinea - some of which led Australian
> commentators too describe Melanesia as the Pacific's 'arc of
> instability' - have all tended to redefine the role of the military both
> in their respective countries and within the wider South Pacific region.
> Obligations on regional military forces to maintain order have arisen in
> what, in other parts of the globe, may have come under the jurisdiction
> of United Nations Peacekeeping. But there is a cost. For example, the
> role of Australia and New Zealand in the Regional Assistance Mission to
> the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) has been both welcomed and criticised. Part
> of the problem is that the intervening military forces are placed in a
> Janus like situation when asked to control rebel guerrilla fighters and
> civil disorder within the context of internal political turmoil. The
> military are constantly torn between the Laws of Armed Conflict and a
> new role more akin to that of a civil police force governed by police
> powers. In situations where local military forces have opted to
> overthrow their elected government and assume power themselves, they
> justify their action by arguing that they are acting to save the rule of
> law. Other, unique challenges such as terrorism and transnational crime
> may also call for a military response in the absence of police capacity.
> 
> How do all of these factors affect regional security co-operation and
> integration? Is regional military security co-operation and integration
> desirable? Or is it a case of every state for themselves? How can
> specific national military forces contribute to stability in the region?
> 
> In the context of internal unrest what legal implications arise for the
> military? Issues include the thematic and institutional problems of; 
> The Role of the Military: To Coup or not to Coup?; 
> The Military as Enforcers of the Rule of Law; 
> >From the Law of Armed Conflict to Civil Disorder; 
> South Pacific Security: A Regional Issue Requiring a Regional Response?;
> 
> The Role of the Military in Combating Terrorism?;
> The Role of the Military in Combating Transnational Crime?
> The conference will seek to approach these issues from a legal
> perspective and, as such, will have two main focal areas:
> Regionalism and military co-operation/integration in the South Pacific:
> Gunboat diplomacy or Regional Assistance Missions?
> Military obligations in the South Pacific; Combating specific security
> threats from civil and political unrest to terrorism and transnational
> crime. 
> However, all papers that focus on the problems and issues facing the
> military in the South Pacific region will be considered. 
> While predominately focusing on the legal aspects of military action in
> the South Pacific we are interested in contributions from any of the
> full range of disciplines within the human and social sciences that bear
> on this topic. 
> Key Dates
> Papers will be selected on the basis of an abstract of no more than 250
> words.
> Abstracts should be submitted by email to the Conference Convenor, Dr
> Chris Gallavin at chris.gallavin at canterbury.ac.nz by 31 August 2007.
> Papers will be selected by 30 September 2007. 

All enquiries should be
> directed to: 
> Dr Chris Gallavin
> Senior Lecturer in Law
> School of Law, 
> University of Canterbury
> New Zealand
> 
> 
> 
> >>> <jennifer.drysdale at anu.edu.au> 08/22/07 4:24 pm >>>
> Hi there
> 
> Basilio Pinto is an East Timorese student who has just joined us at the ANU. 
> He is studying English this semester and will do a course in Public Policy 
at 
> the Crawford School. Before he came to Australia he was working on policy 
> issues in the Department of Health with the East Timorese Government.
> 
> We would like to welcome Basilio to the ANU by having a lunch next week. 
> Please let me know if you can come along:
> 
> Thursday 30 August (an 8 year anniversary as well!)
> The Gods' Cafe
> 12.30 - 2.00
> 
> Hope to see you there!
> Cheers
> Jen
> 
> P.S. This email list is for the purpose of disseminating notices of events 
> related to East Timor in Canberra. My apologies for the earlier SPAM.
> 
> 
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