PORT MORESBY, Nov 12, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Papua New Guinea has deployed a
multi-national force of warships, fighter jets and elite counter-terrorism
troops to protect world leaders attending a major summit in its crime-plagued
capital this week.
About 4,000 military personnel, around half of them foreign, will work with
hundreds of police to patrol Port Moresby for the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum from Saturday, which will attract representatives from 21
nations.
Attendees are set to include China’s President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe and US Vice President Mike Pence, who is not even
expected to sleep in the city, but stay overnight in Australia.
Up to 15,000 delegates are expected at the summit. Due to a shortage of
hotel accommodation, many of them will bunk down on three cruise liners
docked at the port, presenting additional security complications.
Although the threat posed by terrorism in PNG is considered minimal, the
Melanesian country’s reputation for lawlessness and violent crime precedes
it.
About half the capital’s 300,000 people live in squatter settlements, and
it was ranked fourth-last in this year’s Economist Intelligence Unit list of
the world’s most liveable cities. Feared street gangs known as “raskols” have
made car jackings common and the country has among the highest rates of rape
and domestic violence in the world.
To ensure delegates are safe, the government has enlisted military help
from Australia, the United States and New Zealand.
Canberra is bankrolling much of the security operation.
It has sent a 1,500-strong Australian Defence Force (ADF) contingent,
along with RAAF F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, surveillance aircraft and a
helicopter carrier moored in Port Moresby harbour.
Vessels from Australia, New Zealand and the US will guard the capital’s
shores, and all three countries have provided special forces.
Working alongside them in an operation that has taken more than a year to
plan will be about 2,000 Papua New Guinea troops.
– ‘Don’t be alarmed’ –
A headline in the Post-Courier newspaper last week proclaimed an “APEC
Invasion”, although Joint Security Task Force (JSTF) chief Commissioner Gari
Baki told Port Moresby residents the foreign troops were nothing to worry
about.
“I would like to reassure the community that they should not be alarmed,”
he said, noting the international force was “here at our request”.
The government has passed laws allowing international security personnel
to use lethal force if necessary to deal with an “imminent threat” during the
summit.
Former PNG defence force chief Jerry Singirok has raised concerns the move
impinges on the country’s sovereignty.
But Canberra-based military think tank the Australia Defence Association
said if developing nations such as Papua New Guinea did not accommodate
foreign security contributions, they would never be able to host major events
like the APEC summit.
“That wouldn’t be good from a strategic level or a political level,”
executive director Neil James said.
The huge numbers of police and military in Port Moresby for the summit
meant crime is “not going to be a problem”, he added.
– Hospitals v Maseratis –
The government views the summit as a rare opportunity to showcase Papua
New Guinea to the world and attract investment to the poorest of APEC’s 21
member nations.
“It’s a major undertaking, but it’s very important when it comes to
promoting the country economy-wise,” said Justin Tkatchenko, the minister
responsible for planning the summit.
“We’ve never had leaders like this… ever come to this area… The whole
world will be watching.”
More than a third of Papua New Guinea’s 8.5-million population lives below
the poverty line, while tribal and political violence is a recurring problem,
particularly in the Highlands region.
Port Moresby itself has been given a facelift for the summit, with major
infrastructure projects — many funded by China.
Outside the capital, economic growth driven by the development of
resources has stalled, leaving the vast majority of the population with poor
basic services such as health and education.
Many have questioned why vast sums are being spent on APEC — including 40
Maserati cars worth more than $150,000 each — when provincial hospitals are
struggling with chronic shortages of medical supplies.
But Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel said making a
positive impression at APEC, which collectively accounts for 60 percent of
global GDP, could make a difference.
“We need investment, we need partnerships, we need capital to develop our
country,” he said.
“So APEC is going to present a wonderful marketing opportunity for Papua
New Guinea because there’s so many opportunities with the wealth that we have
and the beautiful people that we have and the wonderful culture that we
have.”
— Radio New Zealand contributed to this report –
BSS/AFP/MSY/0946 hrs