ABSTRACT
The South Pacific is a microcosm of global concern over failed states. During the past decade, the region has gone from a relatively peaceful backwater to an ‘arc of instability’. Military coups in Fiji, ethnic conflict in the Solomon Islands, violence and bloodshed in East Timor, and the breakdown of law and order in Papua New Guinea have shattered images of an idyllic tropical paradise. Several states are at risk of failure. They are unable to control effectively their territory, let alone defend and monitor their borders. This makes them easy prey for international criminals and other malign elements seeking a staging post into Australasia or a backdoor into Southeast Asia.
