Tabubil repatriations near end

A repatriation exercise in Tabubil which started last year is nearing completion, say police.
Assistant police commissioner, borders, Peter Philip said they are winding down the last phase of the repatriation exercise.
“We are at the last phase. We need to ensure that those who are still here will be airlifted out of Tabubil to Mt Hagen. About 100 persons are yet to be airlifted,” he said.
The repatriation costs are covered by the Ok Tedi Mining Ltd and the landowners.
“Once we have all the details of everyone that are supposed to be evicted, we should have them airlifted,” Philip said.
He said by the end of this month, they will do a head count of those still to be repatriated and have them airlifted.
“This is to make sure that they don’t remain and settle anywhere else in the province,” Philip said.
The repatriation came about following ethnic clashes last year with the locals where people were injured and properties damaged.
Philip said that illegal settlers had been involved in illegal activities such as trafficking of firearms and others.
He said that those who had been evicted so far had been cooperative. Philip explained that some of them did not have the funding to go back to where they came from.
“So it was a good opportunity for them to return to their home provinces.
“I acknowledged Ok Tedi local level governments and the landowners, leaders and North Fly District Development Authority under the leadership of our MP James Donald.
“Under his office, they helped in this repatriation exercise,” Philip said.
“They also helped to send back people from Telefomin, Oksapmin and Ningerum to their villages,” he added.
Philip also thanked police and Papua New Guinea Defence Force members who were deployed to the Forward Base operation in Kiunga for executing the exercise.