Security issues

NTERNAL security, or IS, is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other self-governing territories, generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats.
Papua New Guinea, like any sovereign country, has to guarantee internal security by putting in place mechanisms aimed at preventing and fighting crime and safeguarding law and order and public tranquility as it is a pre-requisite for ensuring peace and stability.
Our country’s young history is littered with many experiences where we can draw lessons from to address IS challenges.
Notably the Bougainville Crisis, the bloody civil unrests, continuous bloodbath come every election, sagas involving international fugitives like Julian Moti and Djoko Tjandra and the colossal damage of state asset in the Mendi mayhem, to name a few.
Successfully hosting Apec in November now increasingly demands the best of security contingencies and a safe and secure environment based on a sound and highly resilient IS arrangement.
Internal security is therefore of paramount importance to the State and now requires all players in the realm of security to be involved.
This means that whatever mechanisms we adopt must justify the need and necessity of our security and at the same time underpin the vital importance of the survival of our democracy and the safety of citizens and assets and thus take place in a clearly defined legal framework that guarantees the efficiency and effectiveness of the system.
Beside Apec and its immediate security contingencies, in the long-term, importance in internal security is the predominant part of the national security and deserves to be given a systemic upgrade in line with the country’s security strategy and its development agenda.
What it requires is a safety mechanism to address things like human rights and the abuse stated above through well-defined legal parameters, specific requirements and accountabilities of the legislature.

David Lepi
POM