New Challenges for Pacific Security A Comparative Examination of Illicit Drugs and Insecurity between Pacific and Caribbean States: An Evolving Parallel? A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in History in the University of Canterbury by Timothy David Milne University of Canterbury 2008 1 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to all the support that I received from my family and friends throughout the duration of this thesis. Without their words of encouragement, I could not have endured those difficult times when the ideas that inspired this thesis were not forthcoming. Secondly, I wish to thank my supervisor, John Henderson, for his academic support and his unwavering belief in the importance of my thesis topic. Lastly, I wish to express my appreciation to the Peace and Disarmament Eduction Trust for their generous support that made this thesis possible. 2 Table of Contents Chapter One: Literature Review Page The Pacific Region and the Paucity of Illicit Drug Research ....................................12 The Changing Security Discourse: New and Traditional Paradigms in Security.....15 Transnational Crime, Weak States and Sovereignty: The Maintenance of an Enabling Environment ..............................................................................................18 The Contemporary Face of Conflict: Accounting for New Conflict Environments and Conflict Dynamics—Or—Relearning Forgotten Lessons? ........22 Chapter Two: Theoretical Framework Introduction ...............................................................................................................26 An Enhanced Approach for Examining Drugs as a Security Threat.........................26 Justification for Employing the Concepts and Framework Developed by Buzan, Waever and de Wilde ...................................................................................28 Case Study Layout....................................................................................................30 Glossary of Terms.....................................................................................................31 Security According to Buzan, Waever and de Wilde ................................................32 Securitisation: A Three-Step Process .......................................................................36 Justification for a Regional Focus.............................................................................36 The Importance of the Pacific to Regional Security Complex Theory ......................37 Levels of Analysis Scheme.......................................................................................38 Categories within the New Framework for Analysis: Political Security ....................38 Military Security.........................................................................................................40 Societal Security .......................................................................................................41 Economic Security ....................................................................................................42 Chapter Three: Caribbean Regional Overview Introduction ...............................................................................................................44 Overview of Illicit Drugs and their Impact Throughout the Caribbean......................45 Caribbean Regional Actors: The United States .......................................................52 Caribbean and United States Relations...................................................................54 Case Study One: Jamaica Introduction ...............................................................................................................58 Overview of Illicit Drugs in Jamaica ..........................................................................59 Political Security Concerns.......................................................................................63 The Jamaican Constabulary.....................................................................................64 Military Security Concerns: The Availability of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Drugs and Insecurity.......................................................................66 Societal Security Concerns ......................................................................................67 Gangs and Insecurity................................................................................................68 Economic Security Concerns ...................................................................................70 United States Anti-drug assistance to Jamaica ........................................................71 External Influences upon Policy Decisions: The Impossibility of Legalising Marijuana in Jamaica ...............................................................................................74 Responses of the Jamaican Government to Drugs..................................................76 3 Case Study Two: Haiti Introduction ...............................................................................................................83 Overview of Illicit Drugs in Haiti ................................................................................84 Political Security Concerns.......................................................................................88 Overview of The Haitian Judicial System .................................................................89 The Haitian National Police Force............................................................................90 Military Security Concerns: The Availability of Small Arms and Light Weapons......92 The Haitian Military...................................................................................................94 Societal Security Concerns ......................................................................................95 Economic Security Concerns ...................................................................................96 The Involvement of MINUSTAH in Haiti....................................................................97 The Involvement of the United States in Haiti...........................................................99 Responses of the Haitian Government to Drugs ....................................................103 Chapter Four: Pacific Regional Overview Introduction .............................................................................................................109 Overview of Illicit Drugs throughout the Pacific ......................................................111 Problems Associated with Statistical Analysis and the Identification of Trends .....113 New Zealand and Australia: Magnets for Regional Drug Activities .......................116 Pacific Territories of the United States....................................................................118 American Samoa ....................................................................................................118 Guam ......................................................................................................................119 Hawaii .....................................................................................................................120 Pacific Regional Actors and the Securitisation of Drugs: The Domestic Concerns of New Zealand and its Influence upon Regional Drug Strategies .......120 The Domestic Concerns of Australia and its Influence upon Regional Drug Strategies.......................................................................................................124 The Concerns of the Pacific Islands Forum............................................................127 The Presence of Small Arms and Light Weapons..................................................129 Gangs and Criminal Deportees..............................................................................131 Case Study Three: Papua New Guinea Introduction .............................................................................................................133 Overview of Illicit Drugs in Papua New Guinea......................................................134 Political Security Concerns.....................................................................................137 The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary ........................................................138 Military Security Concerns: The Availability of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Marijuana and Insecurity ..............................................................139 Marijuana as a Financial Resource for Small Arms and Light Weapons Acquisition..............................................................................................143 Societal Security Concerns ....................................................................................144 The Harris Prediction: Gangs, Crime and Marijuana .............................................145 Economic Security Concerns .................................................................................148 Bougainville: Lessons for Understanding Future Conflict Dynamics .....................149 Australian Involvement in Papua New Guinea.......................................................153 Responses of the Papua New Guinean Government to Drugs..............................156 4 Case Study Four: Fiji Introduction .............................................................................................................162