NORMAL police operations will continue in the Southern Highlands province regardless of the State of Emergency lapsing last night, according to Assistant Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki.
“There is a law and order problem in Southern Highlands and the police and soldiers, bestowed with special police powers, will continue to perform their normal constitutional functions to ensure law and order prevails in the province,” Mr Vaki said yesterday.
However, Mr Vaki said if the SoE was not extended, they would relinquish all civilian administrative matters and functions currently overseen by the security forces to the provincial administration.
“We will concentrate on normal policing duties through out the province,” he said.
It is understood that PNG Defence Force soldiers deployed in the province for the SoE operations are using the instruments and provisions of the 2002 call-out approved by the former police commissioner Sam Inguba for deployment in the 2003 supplementary election in the province.
This means the soldiers can continue to assist the Royal PNG Constabulary in the maintenance of law and order until or unless their special constable powers are revoked by the police commissioner.
So far an estimated K27 million has been spent on security operations alone — a massive commitment by the Government that is helping to pacify Southern Highlanders from the oppressions of guns, tribal fights and crime.
Mr Vaki said the lead-up to the general election was a crucial period that required police and soldiers to consistently patrol and carry out awareness on law and order throughout the province.
“The Government must keep the security forces in the province to avoid a repetition of the failed 2002 general election, which cost the Government millions of kina to run the supplementary election,” he said.
“The civic works programmes like the market rehabilitation, Mendi airport fencing and other life enhancing projects undertaken by the PNGDF engineers would have to continue as part of nation building.”
He also predicted violence and re-emergence of the gun culture if the SoE winded up.
The existence of an estimated 16,000 guns being possessed illegally as highlighted in the integrated cooperative planning team’s report released last month illustrates the existence of a potential threat.
“The presence of security forces is subduing illegal firearm holders from intimidating and harassing innocent people, especially at this crucial stage leading up to the general election,” Mr Vaki said.