Transcript
A member of parliament in Enga province says a build-up of illegal weapons in neighbouring Hela is having spillover effects. The MP for Laigap-Porgera, Tomait Kapili, says Enga province, struggling since last year with its own deadly election-related violence, has not been immune from the recent trouble in both Hela and Southern Highlands.
"There has been some tribal fighting within the Paiela area, getting into the Porgera township. There's been a number of murders around the place. Yeah,it's all coming in from Hela. There's an arms build-up and all that coming out of Hela."
He also voiced frustration at the lack of security forces available to protect a major mine in his district. Operated by Canadian company Barrick Gold, the Porgera gold mine has been plagued by lawlessness for many years. According to Mr Kapili, there had been recent trouble at the large gold mine.
"And you have armed men going into the mine area. There was (recently) some exchanges of fire without any casualties. We've asked the government to send some people out, especially to the mine site. They haven't. Barrick's own security personnel are protecting and guarding the area."
The government ordered deployment of extra security forces under the state of emergency declared in the region after February's 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Hela which also affected Enga. But according to Mr Kapili, this security assistance hasn't fully materialised in Enga. Yet it's clear the defence force has its hands full in Hela and Southern Highlands. The Emergency Response Team Lead of UNICEF, Ali Aulia Ramly (ah-lee owl-eeya ruhm-lee), says defence force collaboration has been critical to his agency's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to quake-affected communities. We have received a lot of support. They accompany the team, they provide even advice to us, like where to go and where should be avoided. In many situations they extend their capacity to provide support for the UN, and also particularly to Unicef. But the capacity of Defence and Police forces to maintain law and order in this region faces a huge challenge with a build-up of illegal guns among tribes and political factions. PNG's Defence force Commander Gilbert Toropo told local media last week that many of the guns held illegally are misappropriated army weapons.
"This is not a war zone. When we go to Southern highlands, or Hela, we are not going to a war zone. We are going to our people. If there are firearms, I'm sorry but that is illegal. It is not allowed by law. When we are up there, yeah there are reports and we've seen them in social media, about weapons being openly exposed. We know exactly how much weapons are there."
He says the Defence Force will use minimum force and deal with people sensitively as it proceeds with investigations and searches in this conflict-laden region.
