Ex-PNG military chief says army can't secure Indonesian border

Updated September 17, 2008 15:39:52

A former Papua New Guinea military commander says security at the border with Indonesia must be stepped up. General Jerry Singirok, who is now retired, says incursions into PNG territory by Indonesian soldiers are now common, especially in East Sepik Province. The former PNGDF commander blames the PNG government for allowing the military to become run down.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Former Papua New Guinea Defence Force commander, General Jerry Singirok

SINGIROK: In the past 10 years we have continued to face constant border crossings by the Indonesian military, and it's of serious concern, because we don't have a force, we don't have a defence force that has sufficient troops and resources to protect or to be of deterrent on our side of the border. It's not only the Indonesian troops crossing. A lot of logging activities in the PNG side of the border and the authorities do not have anything to say.

HILL: How big a problem is this? I mean the Indonesian military say that they able to cross the border in hot pursuit of OPM rebels who are fighting for an independent West Papua, and they have that right under international law. Are they going beyond that? Are they doing more? Are they staging regular patrols in the PNG territory, for example?

SINGIROK: Yes, they have a very strong military presence. I believe its a battalion spread across the 750 kilometre border. So yes, their presence is pretty strong and they actually got the military base right along the border, so a series of bases. So obviously because they establish physically presence, they will continue to patrol, and whether it's hot pursuit or these routine patrols, they will continue to conduct their operations.

HILL: Is this deliberate border crossing? I mean don't they know where the border is?

SINGIROK: The border is difficult to define. Having said that, their border marks already, there is are about 300 or 400 border marks from one end to the another. Most people have a fair idea where the border is, so yes, whilst it's difficult to define where the border line is or the border mark is, I think it is in our interest that we continue to define where the border is, so that we can keep the Indonesians on their side of the border.

HILL: Is this an issue purely for the Indonesians or does the PNG Government bare any share of the responsibility for this situation?

SINGIROK; I think squarely, responsible government departments have not taken ownership. This is PNG government and departments not taking ownership, and I put it squarely on the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Defence and Provincial Affairs. I think those three departments are solely responsible for border administration, border management and activities along the border.

HILL: Well, what do you think they should do then?

SINGIROK: Their list of strategies or action plan, this has been discussed time and time again to have some kind of border development or border management reactivated so that there is a constant dialogue, there's constant understanding with the Indonesian authorities. In the absence of that, we will continue to have influx of illegals into PNG, we will continue to face increase in Indonesian military operations and more importantly, the trading between PNG and Indonesia in terms of kina and rupiah will be in favour of Indonesia all the time.

HILL: If nothing is done, what is the worst that could happen?

SINGIROK: Well, the worst that could happen as we've seen about six weeks ago, that we could have Papua New Guinean citizens lives being lost, as a result of this Indonesian military operations. And once that happens, and when there is a stand off, and PNG and the PNGDF, they are in no position to throw assurance, does not have logistics, does not have leadership and does not have the initiative even for deterrence and that's where the real crunch is. And I'm still a critic of the downsizing exercise, because it's done nothing to assist our security situation, not only in PNG, but in the region.