{"id":961098,"date":"2023-01-18T02:35:13","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T02:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=83045"},"modified":"2023-01-18T02:35:13","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T02:35:13","slug":"namah-blasts-png-government-over-serious-indonesian-border-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2023\/01\/18\/namah-blasts-png-government-over-serious-indonesian-border-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Namah blasts PNG government over \u2018serious\u2019 Indonesian border issues"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Gorethy Kenneth in Port Moresby<\/em><\/p>\n An angry tirade on Papua New Guinea and Indonesia border issues in the PNG Parliament yesterday is likely to ignite an international uproar over the alleged behaviour of government officials.<\/p>\n During yesterday\u2019s session, Vanimo-Green MP and former soldier Belden Namah, asked why border liaison meetings were always held in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.<\/p>\n He also called on the government to allow for this Indonesia-PNG Border Treaty — which PNG has not ratified — to be withheld so serious issues pertaining to the border arrangements between the two countries would be addressed.<\/p>\n Namah, who is the parliamentary chair for Defence, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, claimed that Indonesian government officials were \u201cgetting our officers drunk, giving them women and then come the meeting — they are just sitting there saying, \u2018Yes sir, yes sir\u2019!”<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time a border liaison meeting is held we are taking our people to Jakarta.<\/p>\n “When they go to Jakarta, they go and drink Bintang beer and get into illegal activities and they don\u2019t attend border liaison meetings representing our country,\u201d Namah claimed.<\/p>\n He said PNG soldiers were no longer patrolling the PNG border and that Indonesians were constantly breaching the border and crossing into PNG.<\/p>\n ‘Serious security issue’<\/strong> Namah\u2019s angry outburst followed a move by the Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko to introduce the ratification of the Border Treaty agreement between PNG and Indonesia.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must make hard decisions, we are a sovereign nation. We cannot go on border liaison all the time in Jakarta,\u201d Namah said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of issues yet to be addressed and we must not rush the ratification of these border arrangements.<\/p>\n\n
\n\u201cThis is a serious national issue, serious security issue that we need to address. We need to carefully look at these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n