Sir Julius passed away on Thursday. Photo: Supplied/ Peter Kinjap
The former Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) commander, who defied a government decision to send mercenaries to Bougainville in the late 1990s, paid tribute to Sir Julius Chan.
Retired Major General Jerry Singirok, who effectively ended the Bougainville War and caused Sir Julius to step aside as Prime Minister in 1997, expressed his condolences, saying he had the highest respect for Sir Julius for upholding the constitution when the people demanded it.
"Today, I mourn with his family, the people of New Ireland and the nation for his loss. We are for ever grateful for such a selfless servant as Sir Julius Chan."
As a Captain, Jerry Singirok has served on the PNGDF's first- ever overseas combat deployment in Vanuatu to quell the independence rebellion.
The decision to send PNGDF forces to Vanuatu was made when Sir Julius was prime minister in 1980.
Seventeen years later, again under Sir Julius' leadership, the 38-year-old Singirok was elevated to be the PNGDF ommander as the government struggled to put an end to the decade-long Bougainville War.
In late 1996, the Sir Julius-led government signed a secret US$38 million with Sandline International, a UK based mercenary company.
Under the arrangement, mercenaries supported by the PNGDF, would be sent in to Bougainville to end the conflict.
Singirok disagreed with the decision, and with the backing of the army, he called for Sir Julius to step aside as prime minster. Sir Julius' defiance triggered violent protests.
"Yes, I disagreed with him and opposed the use of mercenaries on Bougainville and the nation mobilised and expelled Sandline mercenaries.
"But it did not once dampen my respect for him."
Under immense public pressure, Sir Julius stepped aside.
Throughout the period of unrest, Singirok maintained that the military operation called 'Rausim Kwik', was aimed at expelling mercenaries and was not a coup against the government.
