PNGDF steps up border focus in Sandaun

The Papua New Guinea Defence Force is refocusing its attention on the provinces along the International Border to tighten security.

With this focus in place, the Chief of the PNG Defence Force, Rear Admiral Philip Polewara, and his team held a meeting today with the Sandaun Provincial Government and Administration to work in collaboration on safeguarding the land boundaries of the province and the country as a whole.

Sandaun Provincial Administration, led by acting Provincial Administrator Eric Sakin, assured the PNGDF Chief that his Provincial Administration and Government stand ready and committed to support PNGDF in providing land for them to build infrastructures along the border villages.

He says currently, PNGDF presence can be seen at the Wutung Border Posts in Vanimo, whereas other border villages like Green River, Bewani, Amanab, Imonda in Vanimo Green District, and Yapsie and Tumolbil in Telefomin District are quite isolated from PNGDF presence.

According to reports from the Provincial Administration, Tumolbil and Yapsi are isolated from the province, where around 11 villages are living over the border in Indonesia.

Rear Admiral Polewara says these concerns will be raised with the Ministry of Defence and NEC, including Foreign Affairs, to look into these concerns from the province.

He says the role of the PNG Defence Force is to provide security, so they need to work together with other key agencies to protect the country’s borders.

The team will visit the Wutung Border Post today, followed by a visit to the Defence Force Post in Green River on Sunday. They return to Port Moresby on Tuesday, June 17.