Rochus Lokinap

Rochus Lokinap was a military officer in Papua New Guinea. He held the rank of brigadier general in the Papua New Guinea Defence Forces (PNDGF) and was the PNG Defence Commander, in March 1990 when Police Commissioner Paul Tobian tried to execute a coup against government of Rabbie Namaliu.[1] According to the Canberra Times Lokinap and Ted Diro, then Minister of State Security, rallied forces to thwart the coup.

Rochus Lokinap
Born
New Ireland
NationalityPapua New Guinea
Occupationmilitary officer
Known forhelped thwart a coup in 1990

In April 1991 critics scrutinized actions of the PNGDF on Bougainville Island, during a civil uprising.[2] Reporters sought to interview Lokinap, senior officer of the PNGDF, and he could not be found. According to Australia's Parliamentary Research Service Lokinap regarded Colonel Lima Dataona, the on-site commander in Bougainville, as a rival, and successful in arranging his replacement by his own candidate, Colonel Leo Niua.[3]

Lokinap graduated from the Military Cadet School in Lae in 1970. From there he attended the Portsea Officer Cadet School in 1971.[4] Lokinap was appointed commander of the PNDGF in December 1987,[5] holding that position until 1992.[6] He was the first senior officer who was not from Papua, being from New Ireland.[7] He was made a Commander of the British Empire on June 11, 1988.[8]

HMPNGS Rochus Lokinap will be named in his honour. It will be the PNGDF's second Guardian-class patrol vessel, joining sister ship HMPNGS Ted Diro. She is expected to be commissioned in late 2020 or early 2021.

References
  1. Keith Scott (1990-03-16). "In PNG a coup on the rocks". Canberra Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  2. Norm Dixon (1991-04-24). "PNG invades north Bougainville". Archived from the original on 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2020-11-09. In the days that followed, both Nuia and the commander of the PNGDF, Brigadier-General Rochus Lokinap, could not be located by the government, which claimed it did not know who ordered the action.
  3. Niki Raath (1991-12-19). "Moral Support? Australia's respons to Papua New Guinea's internal security problems" (PDF). Parliamentary Research Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-11-09. Brigadier General Rochus Lokinap was reinstated he immediately and successfully demanded thereplacement of Dataona by Colonel Leo Nuia.
  4. "Territory needs leaders, Brigadier tells cadets". Papua New Guinea Post-courier. International, Australia. 30 November 1970. p. 12. Retrieved 12 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Advertising". The Canberra Times. 62 (19, 067). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 18 December 1987. p. 1. Retrieved 12 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. R.J. May; Viberto Selochan (2004). "The Military and Democracy in Asia and the Pacific". Archived from the original on 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  7. "Military-Civil Relations in the Independent State". Australian National University. Archived from the original on 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2020-11-08. He was replaced by Colonel Rochus Lokinap. Lokinap was the first non-Papuan commander of the PNGDF, coincidentally coming from a village in Sir Julius Chan’s New Ireland electorate.
  8. "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 11th JUNE 1988" (PDF). London Gazette. 1988-06-11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
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