Papua New Guinea: From a prespective aboard

By Kipali Kana

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has an extremely high crime rate and incidents of violent crime are prevalent throughout the country. This posses a substantial threat to the majority law abiding citizens and expatriates. Crime threats include vehicle theft (carjacking), personal robberies, residential burglaries, home invasions, rape, and aggravated assault.

Road conditions throughout PNG are very uneven. There is a complete absence of enforcement of traffic laws in PNG which is contributing towards a dangerous traffic environment. We encounter various road hazards such as fallen trees, landslides, drunken/negligent drivers, and roadblocks manned by violent criminals.

We gained independence from Australia in 1975. Since that time, PNG has struggled to piece together a cohesive society based on a national identity. In many respects, we are yet to achieve this primary goal. Our political violence is oriented towards issues surrounding political candidates and their supporters. Our political races are fiercely contested and litigation over election results and procedures are chronic. Supporters of political candidates occassionaly engage in violent clashes with competing political groups as much of our political alignment is based on tribal/ethnic affiliations.

Although we have no significant indication of terrorist threat at this time, crime remains the single most critical threat to our citizens. Such scenarios can eventually develop into or create avenues for terrorism to prevail. In the last four months, there has been an increased level of sophistication in the types of crimes committed involving careful coordination, planning, and surveillance of intended targets.

Civil unrest in PNG is common, often taking the form of tribal fighting. In the recent past, there was a large tribal fight in the city of Lae in which one person was killed and at least 20 homes burned to the ground. In other parts of the country, numerous people have been killed and homes destroyed in a wide range of conflicts. No part of our country is immune and there have been two large conflicts in Port Moresby in the last six months.

Natural disasters are not uncommon for PNG, with the last major flood occurring in November 2007 in the Oro province. Heavy rains easily cause landslides which block roads, cutting the most remote villages off almost completely from the outside world. Earthquakes occur periodically but none have been particularly severe in recent history. PNG is located in the geological area known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire." Hence, there is volcanic activity, most prominently on the island of New Britain.

Vehicle accidents involving privately owned, commercially owned, and publicly owned transportation are frequent and many of them fatal. Drivers should exercise caution at all times on the roads of PNG. Major industrial accidents are rare since there are not many heavy industries in PNG. There are several mining companies in the country which appear to have good safety records. There is a planned expansion of natural gas and petroleum processing, which could increase the likelihood of a serious industrial accident in the future.

Kidnappings were rare in PNG a year ago but have been on the rise in the last 12 months. Criminals have begun to commit crimes of increasing sophistication, with kidnapping proving to be among the most popular. Armed gangs have abducted people whom they believe have access to some kind of valuable asset, such as cash or gold. It is not unusual for the perpetrators to impersonate security personnel or police officers in order to gain the trust of victims, then execute the kidnapping.

Drug use, cultivation, distribution, and related violence are on the rise. While not connected to terrorism, there are indications that drugs are being used as currency for the purchase of weapons and ammunition.

PNG is in a malarial zone. There has not been an epidemic in recent years; however, people living in PNG do contract malaria on a regular basis. Malarial prophylaxis is strongly recommended.

The spread of HIV/AIDS is unfortunately quickening its pace in PNG. This is a particularly pressing problem due to the high incidence of rape in the country. And the Politicians are helping the spread of it by hooking girls from Universities and Night Clubs. The policing structure in PNG lacks resources. Support for citizens is commensurate with the poorly funded police force.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@