A community leader from Amanab in West Sepik says
there is increased number of illegal border crossings and other illegal
activities taking place between the Dera Constituency people and their
counterparts in Indonesia’s West Papua.
Timothy Vima is the former local level government
president for Amanab and is from the Kembratoro Catholic Mission area, west of
Amanab government station.
He is speaking out in light of the Corona virus
security concern and deployment of security personnel to the border regions.
A total of 68 PNGDF personnel arrived in Vanimo
early this week to boost manpower responding to the Corona virus pandemic.
Six medical officers from the 1st
Battalion Royal Pacific Islands Regiment were among 48 others from the 2nd
Battalion Royal Pacific Islands Regiment.
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| Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers meet with Sandaun Provincial Administrator Conrad Tilau |
Mr Vima said the State of Emergency and the
awareness on Corona virus should be carried out in the hinterland areas of the
Vanimo Green River District where there are illegal border crossings frequently
happening.
“To be stationed in Wutung, Bewani, and Green River
is not enough,” he said.
“Deployment of security personnel must also be to
areas where there is more chances of the disease coming from the other side of
the border.”
“Dera should have military personnel stationed at
Kembratoro Catholic Mission as there is currently frequent movement within the
three wards and other villages at Amanab local level government.”
In 1990 Operasi Papua Merdeka (OPM) rebels kidnapped
a Papua New Guinean, three Filipinos, an American and New Zealand missionaries
and held them captive just past Kembratoro before they were released in
December.
Mr Vima said the villagers at his area are crossing
the border to access basic needs and services from the nearby Indonesian
government stations of Ubruf, Yuruf,
Yabanda and Sengi.
“Dera is remote with no road connections to Vanimo
and no form of communication like mobile transmission of HF radio for reporting
any suspected cases or illegal migration of people across the border,” Mr Vima
outlines their concern.
‘There is also no proper health facility to do
checkups if there is any suspected case.”
Mr Vima said Dera Constituency has three wards and
284 citizens have illegally crossed into Indonesia to work in Oil Palm Plantations
at Arso and Lere, Jayapura Regency of Papua-Indonesia.
They have warned people not to cross back into PNG
and ward members are in fear of the corona virus.
The want the national and provincial governments to
assist them as people are returning secretly one at a time.
