State must boost national security

 THE siege in Sydney’s central business district, which ended in the death of two innocent people along with the criminal involved, has unfolded far too close to our shores and cannot be waived aside as of no consequence here.

It has happened in our neighbour’s melting pot of nationalities. Despite the loss of life and the grief suffered by families and colleagues, the resultant sympathy and encouragement by Sydney residents from many races, perhaps a few Papua New Guineans among them, is at least reassuring of humanity’s outrage at such acts of violence.

Security against terrorism is a universal concern.  Papua New Guinea’s hosting of the important APEC Leaders Forum in 2018 will be a vital test for the country’s security preparedness. 

We are not foretelling any terrorist attack or hostage taking of any sort but an event of such magnitude obviously requires the best and biggest security effort one can afford.

Whatever the other ma­nifold benefits of hosting the APEC meeting in Port Moresby, the occasion should of necessity, afford us the opportunity to test the national and even regional security capabilities.

The 2018 APEC forum will for the first time bring to our shores a few of the world’s most powerful leaders in the likes of the American and Russian presidents and the premier of the People’s Republic of China. Along with leaders from the Pacific coast of South America and our nearby island neighbours, Port Moresby will play host to the who’s who of the Asia Pacific region for a few days. The need for security will be something quite unprecedented for the country. 

The Pacific Games next year will provide a similar test for our security capabilities. As the country becomes increasingly significant in the region and world stage, primarily because of its growing economy and influence, it will draw interest both from the capitalist world and the criminal underworld and the terrorist-minded.

In fact, by opening our arms to all manner of investors, we may have unknowingly welcomed some with questionable motives. Only time will tell.

That is unavoidable perhaps but the possibilities of terrorism and international crime given our poor border surveillance must call for greater vigilance now than ever before.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, in reacting to the Sydney siege, has given some reassurance that PNG’s security systems and efforts are being improved greatly.

“The range and form of security threats facing the global community has changed in recent years, and security services of all nations take into consideration both domestic and international factors.

“Every country is different, and while Papua New Guinean does not face the same security threats as countries such as Australia or the United States, we must continue to be vigilant,” he said.

The country will be relying on expertise in security and preparedness to host the big event without incident.  Some members of the security forces have already undergone training and more such cooperation will follow.

Security is going to be high on the agenda and it might be that training specialist personnel only will not be sufficient. We might want to engage specialists from countries such as Australia and New Zealand to beef up security measures for the APEC forum. The country should be thankful that members of the police force and military have been to or are undergoing training provided by our friends like Australia, the United States and Israel.

These are countries that have had to deal with real security threats and acts of terrorism so the knowledge and skills imparted obviously is not only theoretical but based on real life cases.

It is such training and possibilities that the country ought to be prepared for not only for the upcoming major international events but well into the future.

As a member of the international community constantly under the threat of international crime, we cannot afford to be complacent and so become the weak link not only in vigilance but in our ability to react to threats.