Unprotected border with Indonesia raises risk of virus outbreak

By SAMUEL BARIASI
NORTHERN Governor Gary Juffa is concerned that PNG is at high risk of a Covid-19 outbreak because of the unprotected border with Indonesia.
He said the 760km border that was once well-protected had been left open since 1988 when the Government withdrew the PNG Defence Force and deployed them to Bougainville.
“We have never returned them (to the border) and we have never developed our army to the capacity that it can serve this nation,” Juffa told Parliament on Thursday.
He said the army was the badge of sovereignty for any nation.
“We have allowed our army to be decimated, dismantled,” Juffa said. He said the army had become “a very minor security force”.
“The border can only be managed if you have patrols taking place north and south, meeting in the middle and reverting,” Juffa said.
He said his concern about the border was always there since he entered Parliament.
“I’m glad to see that now, thanks to a virus (Covid-19), it has brought us to a point that we are all paying attention to it,” he said.
Juffa commended the Government’s effort to protect the nation against Covid-19 but expressed concern that people needed to be informed well about the extended state of emergency.
“They need to understand what it means so they can be satisfied and not anxious,” he said.
“There are people who live day to day where they have to earn a living every day to survive.
“Some of you may have never been in this situation, but some of us have.”
Juffa said it was really important that people knew how the Government was considering their situations.