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West Papua: PNG’s Sanduan Governor says locals live in fear |
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Tuesday, 15 July 2008 |
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 Indonesia’s military campaign against West Papua puts Papua New Guinea border residents in fear.
Below is an article published by Radio New Zealand International :
The Governor of Papua New Guinea’s Sandaun province says local people living along the border with Indonesia are in fear for their lives due to incursions by Indonesian military.
Indonesian soldiers are reported to be defying diplomatic and military protocols by violating international border agreements with PNG.
PNG Forestry Minister Belden Namah has just visited the border area in his Vanimo Green electorate where locals have reported frequent incursions in recent months.
Sandaun governor, Simon Solo, says the incursions have been happening for years, often when Indonesian soldiers are in pursuit of West Papuan [activists] or refugees.
He says local people are being harassed by the soldiers.
“Our local people along the border, they are in fear of their lives. It stops them going to look for food, (tending) food gardens and all this... because they are in fear for their lives.”
Governor Solo says complaints about the incursions directed to the PNG Defence Force headquarters go unanswered.
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