PNG Prime Minister James Marape Rejects Resignation Calls Amid Rising Law and Order Crisis

 Port Moresby – Central Province Governor Rufina Peter has called on the national government to immediately suspend the Connect PNG initiative, warning of escalating security risks to the Southern region.

In a strongly worded advertisement published recently, Governor Peter appealed to Prime Minister James Marape, the National Executive Council (NEC), and members of parliament to pause the program for the next five decades until robust border security measures are put in place.

“The unchecked development of road networks connecting Papua to the Highlands and other areas now poses the most significant internal security challenge to Gulf, Central, Port Moresby, and the National Capital District,” she cautioned.

Peter highlighted that the absence of adequate security along these newly constructed roads has fueled widespread lawlessness, unauthorized migration, and illegal land acquisitions, straining provincial police forces, public services, and local populations.

To address these concerns, she proposed several critical security actions:

• Setting up manned border checkpoints between Gulf and Southern Highlands, staffed by Papuan reservists to enforce stringent security, immigration, and customs protocols.
• Temporarily halting further expansion of the Connect PNG initiative into Papua until a detailed security risk assessment is completed. No additional road projects should proceed in Central, Gulf, or Port Moresby without sufficient security infrastructure.
• Bolstering immigration and law enforcement frameworks, including mandatory registration and screening of all non-Papuan migrants entering Central and Gulf provinces, alongside strict action against unauthorized settlements.
• Establishing a specialized security task force involving units from Central, Gulf, and NCD, supported by joint police-military operations to dismantle criminal organizations operating in the area.

Governor Peter urged lawmakers representing Central, Gulf, NCD, and the wider Papuan region to rally behind her plea for an immediate suspension of the Connect PNG project.

“This is not merely about infrastructure—it’s a pressing national security issue that demands urgent attention,” she emphasized.

Her statement underscores growing concerns over the unintended consequences of the ambitious road-building initiative, which was originally designed to enhance connectivity but has instead sparked fears of instability across key regions.

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PNG Prime Minister James Marape Rejects Resignation Calls Amid Rising Law and Order Crisis