Australian security force deployments to Port Moresby, PNG, reduce security risks for delegates attending mid-November APEC summit

During the past three months, several incidents have demonstrated that the security environment remains poor in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby ahead of the 17 November 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. On 7 October, police announced that three gang members had suffered knife wounds inflicted by security guards after they attempted to rob a local shop in Badili, Port Moresby; in mid-September, police arrested two individuals on charges of armed robbery in the Vision City shopping mall. Separately, a local court barred military personnel from entering Silkwood Street in Hohola, Port Moresby, after a large conflict occurred in August between the military and local people that resulted in the displacement of 143 residents, and at least one soldier and several civilians killed. Senior defence sources in Australia have confirmed that Australian Special Forces and Australian Army soldiers have been deployed to Port Moresby to assist with security during the summit. Additionally, the PNG government has indicated that it will redeploy police from rural areas to provide additional support in Port Moresby for the duration of the summit.

Significance: The government's decision to redeploy extra personnel to Port Moresby, coupled with Australia's robust logistical and security support, is likely to greatly limit security risks to visiting delegates during the November APEC summit. The summit is nevertheless likely to provoke protests on the outskirts of Port Moresby, either by local tribal groups or landowners, who will probably establish ad-hoc roadblocks that will disrupt ground transport in the city for several hours. Local security personnel discipline in PNG remains very poor, and sporadic fighting is likely between protesters and security forces. Should such fighting escalate to include arson attacks by protesters, any property damage is likely to be collateral and will most likely affect assets near protests sites. An indicator of growing protest risks to resource projects in rural PNG during November would be landowners pressing their claims for royalties while the summit is in progress, as is likely, to increase their leverage in negotiations.