ORDER OF DAY
To all members of the ADF: Conclusion of Operation Belisi II

On August 26 HMAS Tobruk brought home the last ADF personnel, marking the end of our successful five-year peace monitoring duties in Bougainville.

Since 1998, military and civilian personnel from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu have been assisting the people of Bougainville to restore peace by monitoring the cease fire, as well as helping to implement the weapons disposal process. The Peace Monitoring Group has created a fundamental sense of stability on Bougainville giving its people the confidence to move the peace process forward which is a significant achievement.

To those many uniformed personnel who have been involved in this Operation I say congratulations on a job well done. The unarmed nature of this mission made this a unique operation. You have served Australia with honour and distinction and you should be proud of your efforts. You have helped save lives and end suffering. You helped the people of Bougainville to help themselves, rather than imposing solutions upon them. You helped give peace a chance.

The peace process now enters a new phase with a civilian Bougainville Transition Team taking over from the Peace Monitoring Group. We wish them and the people of Bougainville continued success in bringing the peace process to a prosperous conclusion.

General P.J. Cosgrove
Chief of the Defence Force
September 2003

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