A revolving door of Pacific deployments

This realisation has already been acted upon by counties like the US and UK, as well as multilateral organisations such as the EU and UN through the creation of consolidated reconstruction and stabilisation bodies. The US Department of Defence issued a 2005 directive describing stability operations as “a core US military mission … [to be] given priority comparable to combat operations and … explicitly addressed and integrated across all DoD activities”.

The US has recognised stabilisation as critical to its national interests, and it is time that Australia did the same.

Tonga’s recent crisis is illustrative of the need to develop a more broad-based nation-building capability. Sending in a military and police force will no doubt quell the unrest in the short term, but unless Tonga’s democratic institutions are strengthened and the genuine aspirations of the Tongan democracy movement are dealt with, this may be the first of many expeditions required of Australian personnel in what is fast becoming a revolving door of Pacific deployments.

Regional stability operations are the most productive and value-adding way for Australia to contribute to regional security, the international fight against terrorism and our alliance with the United States.