BORDER OPERATION ALREADY A FLOP
The government says illegal
activities in Vanimo along its side of the border pose a national
security threat to its sovereignty.
The joint border
security operation comes amid reports Indonesian soldiers have illegally
crossed the border in pursuit of Free Papua Movement (OPM) rebels on
PNG soil.
The operation codenamed,
''Sunset Merona'' was approved and deployed last week.
Police, defence, Correctional
Services, Border and Customs officers are taking part in the operation.
Commander Jerry Frank says the
aim is to stop the largely unregulated movement of people and goods
across the porous border.
"[Things such as] money
laundering, drugs and guns exchanges, human smuggling, items like
pornographic materials," he said.
He says authorities are
particularly keen to prevent members of the secessionist Free Papua
Movement crossing into PNG.
But the police chief in West
Sepik province, Chief Inspector Sakawar Kasieng, says the operation is
politically motivated.
He says there are no illegal
activities such as the entry of political activists from the Indonesian
province of Papua into PNG.
"People cross [the border] at
all times, I mean people across the border want to go to the other side.
There is a normal trade route, but then the military build up, military
cross over or opium fight back. They fight on their own soil, they
don't fight in Papua New Guinea."
Chief Inspector Kasieng says
those resources should be given to boost Vanimo based police and border
officials to carry out routine patrols along the border.
"They should give money to act,
to the military here, the police on the ground who can do the job."
But PNG's local MP for Vanimo,
Belden Namah, says illegal activities along the PNG-Indonesia border are
an on-going problem.
Mr Namah says it's a real
national security threat to his people and the country.
He says the PNG government
should find a long term solution to the border problems.
Mr Namah wants a permanent
border security post established on PNG side of the border.
"Yes we do have incursions by
Indonesian soldiers. We do have opium elements and presence along the
border, there's an increase in the illegal trade of firearms, drugs,
human trafficking.
"So my answer to that would be
we improve the security at Wutung border, put permanent policemen,
infantry personnel, immigration, customs, quarantine manning the place.
Not just a one off operation," he said.
The operation is due to run for
six weeks.
So far, Operation Sunset Merona
started badly with a stand-off between Vanimo and Port Moresby police
officers on the operations.
A Vanimo traffic police officer
was allegedly bashed by officers from Port Moresby over allegations he
was driving an unregistered vehicle.
Local officers have closed the
Vanimo police station in protest over the incident.
