Policemen and soldiers deployed on border duties have yet to receive their operational orders from superiors. With only seven days to go before the deadline set for the Operassi Papua Merdeka (OPM) fighters to move out of Papua New Guinean soil, PNG troops stationed in Vanimo are still unsure of what they are supposed to do.
A mobile squad from Lae has been in Vanimo since troubles flared on the border last month. There is also an army unit permanently stationed in Vanimo consisting of about 100 men to carry out routine border monitoring patrols.
These men believe they would have to carry out the exercise to force the rebels out of their camps if they did not voluntarily leave by the January 29, deadline, which is next Wednesday. But so far, they have not been given their operational orders.
They still have not got funding to support any operation against OPM camps along the PNG/Indonesia border as well as a number of "refugee camps", where it is believed many of the OPM members were residing.
Sources from Vanimo who are part of the deployment, said yesterday they were in a state of uncertainty. "The boys are having a game of rugby out there on the field. We are not doing any preparations because we have not got our operational orders yet," onesource said.
He said they were especially concerned after PNG Defence Force Commander Brigadier-General Peter Ilau came out in the media with the order for the rebels to clear out of PNG soil by January 29. "Most of the refugee camps and known OPM camps are not easily accessible by road, which means we have to use helicopters. And for those accessible by road, we will need to find transport," the source said.
He also said Foreign Affairs officers would need to be on site, as it would be their responsibility to decide what to do with rebels who refuse to leave. "We need to know what the modus operandi is when we find out that there are elements of OPM who refuse to go. Do we arrest them and take them to court? Do we deport them? These are questions that have to be dealt with by Foreign Affairs, or must be stated in the operational orders."
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Vanimo Cesare Bonivento has urged that any decisions on the future of the West Papua border crossers must be based on "justice, love for peace and respect for human rights". Bishop Bonivento called on PNG citizens to pray for the PNG authoritiestasked with making the decisions on the border crisis so that their decisions are good for everyone.
"Any decision that neglects these basic human values will not be helpful to anybody and will be counterproductive like a boomerang, despite the intentions and the expectations of those who put them in place," he said. "Let us pray that our PNg authorities will be able to protect the people living along the border and those staying in Vanimo, giving them confidence, freedom of movement and serenity."