Tourists get police protection in PNG
Sunday Oct 23 09:20 AEST
Papua New Guinea is introducing tourist police in a bid to turn around bad publicity about the Pacific nation's law and order problems.
PNG Police Commissioner Sam Inguba said the new scheme would be introduced in tourist centres where local police commanders would appoint tourist police to provide security for visitors.
The country had received a lot of bad publicity about its law and order situation which indicated tourists should best avoid PNG, Inguba said.
"Yes, like other countries we do have law and order problems, but it's managed by the law and order agencies," he said.
"We can guarantee a safe and secure environment to promote the tourism industry in PNG."
The new tourist police would work in communities with elders and young people to ensure a safe environment for tourism, Inguba said.
The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary would also work closely with the tourism industry and the Foreign Affairs Department to ensure PNG's great potential as a tourist destination was realised, he said.
PNG's "raskol" crime gangs, made up of unemployed youths mainly operating in the cities, have gained worldwide notoriety but the police force too had a reputation for violence including routine beatings of suspects and extra-judicial killings.
Most crime, however, affected PNG nationals while foreign tourists largely experience safe visits.
Tourist numbers to PNG are still only measured in the thousands but are on the rise.
Australia is the biggest source of holiday visitors and the iconic wartime Kokoda Track has this year drawn many hundreds of walkers.
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Cut n paste from Nine MSN news.Sun 23.10.2005 inst.
Regards......Ralph.
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