ICRC conducts workshop for army officers

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PNG Defence Force officers should have clear understanding of law enforcement principles and how they differed from their normal duty when asked to help police during operations, an official says.
Training Captain Philip Polewara relayed Col Raymond Numa’s comments to 37 soldiers attending a workshop on military support to law enforcement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Port Moresby.
The two back-to-back workshops aimed to ensure military officers understood basic principles of law enforcement, such as maintenance of public order, how to deal with situations of violence, arrest and detention and the use of force and firearms.
The army is expected to be deployed in special operations supporting the police as PNG go to the polls in June and July.
Abdul Aziz Azhari, facilitator and ICRC’s senior security and political adviser in Kuala Lumpur, said in crowd control situations, there were clear principles governing how and when to escalate force.
“It is not something security forces can afford to get wrong, and we were pleased the PNGDF showed interest in listening to what the ICRC had to say on the subject,” he said.
The two workshops last week were attended by 37 soldiers, including five from the Second Royal Pacific Island Regiment, five navy officers and others from Murray and Taurama Barracks.
The ICRC works with the security forces around the world to ensure they understand and can apply international humanitarian law, international human rights law and other legal framework.