PNG Lawlessness: Guns in the Highlands outnumber police arsenal. Using firepower isn’t wise. Consider foreign aid and peaceful solutions.
PNG Lawlessness: A Call for Strategic Solutions
by Samson Komati
05 March 2025
PNG police has a mammoth task in front of them to address widespread lawlessness in Upper Highlands Region which potentially threatens and endangers all businesses, lives and properties of everyone with spill over impacts, results and effects in all 7 Highlands Provinces.
While I commend the NEC and Government for sanctioning (1) shoot to kill orders to police, (2) Kumul Force – special terrorism police unit, and (3) Review of Government-wide performances, I want to highlight a free advice to Government regards the above 3 policy decisions specifically on deployment of police and military to address lawlessness in Upper Highlands (Hela, Enga, SHP).
The guns build up in Highlands Region over many years is way beyond police and military arsenal combined. Every tribe is stacked to the teeth with guns of all kinds and bullets. Tribal manpower easily out numbers PNG police and military personnel and weaponry when deployed to Upper Highlands Region to control and stop lawlessness. Locals have experience in fighting against police and army and will not blink to fight for whatever their cause or reasons at their localities.
From this background, PNG Government through the National Security Advisory Committee and Police management must think of newer, better, peaceful strategic approaches or alternatives to addressing lawlessness and finding lasting solutions in Upper Highlands.
The police and military personnel who are sent to address lawlessness in Upper Highlands will suffer casualties and death under the hands of undisciplined and rogue terrorists or warlords. When that happens, relatives of the dead uniformed men will rise up against Government and public resulting in anarchy, chaos, destruction, violence and deaths to lives like what recently happened in Highlands. The ripple effects and chain reactions will be disastrous and appalling for rest of PNG.
Because of this, Government must not release the Kumul Force quickly to Upper Highlands Region but to study well, be well informed and strategic, and implement the right options to solving lawlessness in Upper Highlands.
Using State sanctioned fire power against local firepower is not the wisest of all decisions given the above mentioned background in Upper Highlands and Highland Region.
Could Government use foreign military and police like what Governor Sir Ipatas is working on now? Could Government use Defence Agreements with United States and Australia to secure police and military help? Could international NGOs including UN Peacekeeping missions as well as local churches and NGOs to address lawlessness in Upper Highlands?
The last thing everyone in PNG want is trigger the time bomb of PNG where tribes will end up fighting each other using high powered weapons which will spill into all other provinces in highlands regions and then spread like bushfire into major towns and cities nationwide which will definitely paralyze the nation to a grinding halt.
Please, our good NEC Members should give some very serious thought and consideration on the above issue and make some wise decisions with advice from National Security Council (if it still exists in PNG today!)
Thank you!
Samson Komati
PNG Think Tank Group Inc
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