Police to be deployed to troubled Konnou

By ROMULUS MASIU
PLANS are underway for the Bougainville police to deploy some of their members to Buin’s troubled Konnou constituency.
Northern regional commander Chief Insp Cletus Tsien made the announcement last Monday in the wake of the uprisings in the Konnou constituency of South Bougainville.
Mr Tsien hinted that there would be re-enforcement of police personnel to go and help four of their members who are currently stationed at Oria village.
“We are trying to bring more police personnel to the area to help maintain the law and order,” Mr Tsien said.
He added that this was to allay the fears among innocent civilians in the region who were caught in the middle of the tension.
He said police were working with Konnou chiefs to initiate some dialogue among the warring parties to urge them to refrain from using firearms to solve the problems.
He has also sent a word to the Konnou Me’ekamui faction leader Damien Koike and his band to attend the peace talks with the chiefs and the community leaders in the area.
However, Mr Tsien said that he was also aware of the sensitivity of the issue.
“Police are ready for the big work lying ahead to bring the opposing factions to a round-table discussion,” he said.
Mr Tsien said police had to address the problem sensibly and logically because of the sensitivity of the issue.
“We won’t be using any heavy tactics which may send the wrong signals to any faction to further escalate the situation which is already tense,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Tsien could not confirm rumours that the person who gunned down the late Jacob Naisy was shot dead by the members of the newly formed Wisai Liberation Front during a recent gun battle in the area.
Mr Tsien said that the investigations into the incidents were continuing and police would establish the truth with the help of their members stationed at Oria.