Transcript
BELDEN NAMAH: There hasn't been much attention given to the Defence Force by the government, especially inadequate funding for them to be able to man the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. There has been a lot of illegal activities like smuggling of drugs, smuggling of weapons between the cross-border. Arms have been smuggled from the border between West Sepik and Western Province, and they're making their way up to the Highlands. It is a serious issue, and I can see that this issue is also now affecting the PNG LNG Project where the landowners take up arms and threaten to shut down the LNG Project. This is not really good for the country.
JOHNNY BLADES: Do you think PNG should be looking at more partnerships for its defence force with maybe Australia or Indonesia?
BN: We've had defence co-operation with Australia for a long, long time. But there hasn't been much done by the PNG government itself. We can't continue to rely on Australia. But yes in terms of partnership, there must be enhanced co-operation between Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia especially at the border to stop these illicit activities from happening along the border of the three countries, whether by sea or by land.
JB: So you'd like to see a more tightly guarded border?
BN: I'd like to see more funding into the Defence Force, into the the police, so that we give priority to manning the border, addressing the law and order issues in this country. I don;t see much attention being given by the government. In order for countries to develop, you have to firstly address the law and order issues. You may not eradicate them. Those problems will continue to be there. you have to come up with measures that will be able to control. And I would like to see more funding to be able to combat the law and order issues in the country, to be able to combat the illegal activities on the border. It used to be really good from the early 1970s, 1980s. It was only in recent times that there's not been much attention given.
JB: So, more needs to be done, more resourcing and effort...
BN: More needs to be done. And we also continue to have these incursions by Indonesian troops to our side of the border, and our people continue to live in fear because of these problems between Indonesia and the West Papua people, those fighting for freedom.