Papua New Guinea has dispatched a team of government officials to investigate a covid-19 delta variant threat in its two frontline provinces bordering Indonesia’s Papua — Western and West Sepik.

Health Minister Jelta Wong has revealed this in Parliament while responding to questions without notice.

Admitting the rise of delta cases in the two provinces that share land and sea borders with Indonesia was a “major concern”, he told Parliament last week that the investigating team was due back in Port Moresby today and would report to government.

He was replying to a question from the Member for Aitape-Lumi, Patrick Pruaitch, who had asked what the government was doing to address the delta cases in the two border provinces.

Pruaitch said Western and West Sepik provinces were currently experiencing an increase in covid-19 that had already killed several people as reported in newspapers.

He said it was important that the government took a “frontline approach” to prevent the deadly delta variant from spreading.

Pruaitch wanted the minister to tell the nation what measures and plans it had to address the crisis, and also reveal the level of funding it had made to mitigate the spread of the variant.

Investigators on the ground
Minister Wong said the government had already dispatched the surveillance team to the two border provinces to investigate, identify the needs and report back to government.

Wong said the team would report the findings to the government which would then decide on action to be taken and funding.

The team also included some development aid partners.

Minister Wong said the variant was real and serious and was now threatening PNG with several deaths already reported, especially in Western Province.

He said while it was an individual’s choice to be vaccinated or not, it was vital for MPs to be responsible and to educate their people.

They needed to tell them the truth about the need for vaccination and about the virus that was now a threat to humanity.

Indonesia has a growing covid-19 crisis with almost 4.2 million cases, 138,889 deaths and only 15 percent of the 270 million people vaccinated.

Jeffrey Elapa is a PNG Post-Ciurier reporter.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Papua New Guinea and neighbouring Indonesia have been discussing a potential reopening of their shared border.

The border was officially closed early last year due to the covid-19 pandemic, but the illegal movement of people back and forth has continued across the porous international boundary.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape met with Indonesia’s Ambassador in Port Moresby, Andriana Supandy, and agreed that the border must be properly policed to prevent the spread of covid-19.

Indonesia’s heath system is being stretched with high covid infection rates, and PNG has also struggled to contain the spread of the virus.

No date has been given for when the border may reopen officially.

In others areas discussed, Supandy proposed for the two countries to enter into a Free Trade Agreement to boost trade and commerce, citing the potential as demonstrated in the success of vanilla trade between PNG and Indonesia.

The ambassador also informed Prime Minister Marape that Indonesia has already ratified the Border and Defence Cooperation Agreement and Land Border Transport Agreement and was awaiting PNG to do the same.

He said these agreements would pave the way for a more robust bilateral tie between the two countries.

On West Papua, the diplomat said that Indonesia appreciated the consistent position that PNG government has taken in acknowledging that the western half of New Guinea was an integral part of Indonesia.

He said the West Papuan self-determination demands remained an internal issue for Indonesia to resolve.

A release from Marape’s office also said both countries had discussed the need for joint cooperation in power connectivity to areas in PNG’s Western and West Sepik provinces.

Military donation
The Indonesian military has donated an aircraft engine to the PNG Defence Force Air Transport Squadron for one of its aircraft to be used for operations in the 2022 general election.

Marape also confirmed yesterday that US$14 million would be ballocated in 2021 and 2022 to ensure all aircraft were ready to be used next year.

The The National newspaper reports Marape saying the aircraft would also be used in enforce transborder security.

The head of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant-General Joni Supriyanto, arrived on a Lockheed C-130H Hercules in Port Moresby yesterday with the engine.

He said transporting the overhauled Casa aircraft engine to PNG “would enhance relationship and cooperation between the armed forces contributing to security and stability in the region”.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Three Papua New Guineans have been killed and another man is recovering in hospital after 16 armed bandits ambushed a vehicle they were travelling in with a priest and others in West Sepik.

Provincial police commander Chief Inspector Moses Ibsagi said two men were shot at point blank range in front of the passengers when they tried to resist the attack on Monday.

Two died on the spot after being shot in the head.

The third man died in hospital later from knife wounds.

“The passengers, including a Catholic priest and three teachers, were on their way from Nuku in West Sepik to Maprik in East Sepik when the 16 men held up the vehicle,” he said.

The incident happened along the Sepik Highway at Wamarau in West Sepik at around 3pm on Monday.

Police are looking for the 16 bandits on the run.

Ibsagi said they were trying to get more information on the attack.

He was told by the Nuku police station commander that the passengers were robbed of all their possessions.

“The passengers were travelling to Maprik for their daily shopping and sale of vanilla,” he said.

“As they came near a village called Wamarau, the 16 men stopped the vehicle and held up the passengers and crew members.

“The thugs were armed with guns and bush knives.

“During a struggle, the two men were shot on the head and died instantly.

“Two passengers received knife wounds.

“One of them succumbed to his wound at the Maprik hospital.

“The other is recovering.”

The National newspaper articles are republished by the Pacific Media Centre with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz