Transcript E&OE
20 May 2009
Interview by Matt Brown, Radio National AM
Subject: Pakistan.TONY EASTLEY: AM has learned that the chief of Pakistan's general staff is in Canberra for confidential talks with Australian military and political leaders about the conflict in the Swat Valley where Pakistan forces are engaged in pitched battles with Taliban militants. The conflict north of the capital Islamabad has forced around one-and-a-half million people from their homes.
Later today the Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, is expected to formally announce a new $12 million fund to buy food and aid for the homeless in the Swat Valley.
National security correspondent, Matt Brown, has been speaking with Stephen Smith about the Government's response to the crisis.
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, it's $12 million aimed at people who've been displaced as a result of the conflict. Pakistan is a strategically important country, very important to south Asia, very important to Australia's interests and the regional community's interests so confronting terrorism and reducing the threat of international terrorism is very important in Pakistan. We've been urging that upon the Pakistan government for some time.
MATT BROWN: As for the Pakistan government, do you share the concerns of independent observers like Human Rights Watch who've said that it's not only the Taliban that they're concerned about, using civilians as human shields for example, but a reckless approach in some cases from the Pakistani military, using artillery and aerial bombardment and killing civilians where that could have been avoided?
STEPHEN SMITH: I've seen those reports but obviously I'm not in a position to verify them one way or the other. But we certainly expect that the Pakistan government will protect human rights and do its best to ensure that its civilians aren't put into a conflict zone or put into danger. The real point here is that it's the extremist activity of the Taliban and other terrorists who are putting pressure on Pakistan itself, putting pressure on the Pakistan government, putting pressure on Pakistani civilians. It's essential that Australia helps in the process. It's essential that the international community responds and that's one of the reasons why Australia has been one of the countries at the forefront of the United Nations group, Friends of a Democratic Pakistan, which has for some time now recognised very clear threats to Pakistan's own existence.
MATT BROWN: In terms of that help from the Australian government though, are you concerned that even this money that's being spent in the very near future to aid these victims of the conflict, will in some way be undermined by a heavy-handed or an indiscriminate approach by the Pakistani military, in other words, a counter-insurgency strategy about winning the hearts and minds of the populations undermined by, in effect, blunt force trauma?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, any conflict where you're dealing with terrorists, where you're dealing with extremists, it's not just a military solution that will win the day. It has to be a military solution but also a solution which entails capacity building. That's one of the reasons why we've announced a doubling of our development assistance to Pakistan, including aimed at the Federally Administered Tribal Areas but also indicating to Pakistan that we're happy to try and help in terms of defence training, defence expertise, particularly as it relates to counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism.
MATT BROWN: On that subject, the Chief of Pakistan's General Staff, pretty much the most senior military officer who'd be visiting Australia, is in Canberra right now from the Pakistani military. Does the Government plan to express any concerns to him about the way this campaign has been executed?
STEPHEN SMITH: One of the things that Foreign Minister Qureshi and I announced when I was in Islamabad was enhancing the relationship between Australia and Pakistan's defence institutions and that includes visits to Canberra for consultation and training purposes so far as Pakistani military are concerned. But whenever our military meet with the military of other countries we make the point that not only do we want to assist where that assistance is required or helpful or useful, but we also make the point that the Australian military conducts itself in a manner which respects human rights and takes account of the dangers to civilians in conflict zones and we expect other militaries to play exactly - to take exactly the same approach and to play exactly the same role.
TONY EASTLEY: The Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, speaking there with our national security correspondent, Matt Brown.
[Ends]
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