Fed: Aust and PNG to sign off on police plan today

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2003
Fed: Aust and PNG to sign off on police plan today

CANBERRA, Dec 11 AAP - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is expected to sign off today
on a deal to send up to 200 Australian police and advisers to PNG to help restore law
and order.

Mr Downer will meet his PNG counterpart Sir Rabbie Namaliu in Adelaide today to finalise
the details.

The pair will also discuss the future of Australia's $300 million annual aid allocation
to PNG, and moves to trim the size of the PNG defence force.

Under the plan, about 200 police would be sent to PNG to help provide training and
assistance to the PNG police force, as well as some operational help.

The deployment would come on top of the annual aid allocation.

The plan also included proposals for Australian officials to work within the PNG public
service to help improve governance and financial controls.

Mr Downer said the deployment would help PNG address key challenges in the law and
order and justice sector and help refine the country's economic and budgetary management.

The proposals sparked outrage in PNG when they were first raised, with PNG Prime Minister
Sir Michael Somare accusing Australia of behaving like a colonial power.

But Australia remains keen to head off further law and order and budgetary problems
in PNG, particularly following the collapse of government and law and order in the neighbouring
Solomon Islands.

Mr Downer and Sir Rabbie signed a framework agreement on the proposal in September,
to ensure Australians on deployment would respect PNG's sovereign rights.

AAP sal/jnb/de

KEYWORD: PNG AUST DAYLEAD

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