Parkop, Alu undermining PNG-Indonesia relations

 THE government has worked hard to foster vibrant, robust diplomatic relations with our neighbour Indonesia in the last 12 months. 

Indonesia has also reciprocated in many ways, including supporting PNG in hosting the APEC Summit in 2018. 

However, NCD Governor  Powes  Parkop  and city manager Leslie Alu have done great disservice to this PNG-Indonesia relationship by hosting the infamous West Papua flag-raising event at City Hall. 

What these two have done is like the Jakarta governor supporting a secessionist movement in PNG by raising its flag in front of the Indonesia government office in Jakarta. 

These men have done irreparable damage to our bilateral relations with Indonesia when they should be abiding by the current government’s policies and supporting them. 

Instead, they have openly demonstrated their belligerent political activist agendas by hosting the said event and are treading on dangerous ground. 

I urge the government to sack Alu for this serious blunder, among many that he has committed as city manager like faulty road constructions. 

Parkop must be reprimanded by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato. 

If he pursues his activism, he should resign from the governor’s post so he can carry on with the West Papua issue. 

Obviously, one can easily understand the support Vanuatu and Fiji have given  to  the West Papua movement as they do not share a vast land and sea border with Indonesia like PNG. 

If there is an armed conflict along our borders, our citizens will be at the forefront. 

No PNG government in its right mind will want to deliberately venture into such an atrocious enterprise and put its citizens in harm’s way, so please stay out of the West Papua issue. 

Nationalist

Port Moresby