11 Jul 2003

PNG Parliament asked to let police operate outside country, to enable Solomons depolyment

3:54 pm on 11 July 2003

The Papua New Guinea Foreign Affairs Minister, Sir Rabbie Namaliu, says he has asked Parliament to change the law to allow PNG police to serve outside the country.

This comes after PNG formally committed both police and soldiers to help with the restoration of law and order in Solomon Islands.

Sir Rabbie yesterday(thur) told Parliament that the PNG contribution will be 40 police personnel and 44 soldiers.

However Sir Rabbie says the law does not permit the deployment of police outside the country so he has asked Parliament to deal with new legislation to facilitate the action.

The deployment of the defence force personnel is covered by a law passed when the PNGDF was sent to quell a rebellion in Vanuatu in 1982.