Banned passengers at Vanimo wharf Photo: Supplied
The action taken by the West Sepik governor Tony Wouwou to ban the entry of about 70 job-seeking men from Papua New Guinea's Highlands into the coastal border town of Vanimo last week has sparked nationwide debate, with some accusing him of constitutional breaches and promoting ethnic division.
The men were reportedly hired by Bewani Palm Oil Limited (BPOL) and arrived on a ship on Thursday. However, following protests by local residents, the governor issued orders for them to remain on board and return home.
Wouwou later issued a statement saying that West Sepik people should be given priority in terms of employment and that the men had no "verifiable evidence" that they had specialised skills or that they had indeed been employed.
He further cited security concerns as one of the primary reasons for the ban.
"The decision to impose movement restrictions was not taken lightly. It was a decision made with the safety and wellbeing of the people of West Sepik in mind.
"Our province is facing significant challenges, particularly in relation to law and order.
"These challenges are not only impacting the daily lives of our people but also pose serious risks to the security of our borders, the economy, and, more importantly, the future potential of West Sepik."
Banned passengers at Vanimo wharf Photo: Supplied
Law and order concerns
West Sepik shares a land and sea border with Indonesia.
Border villagers are allowed to travel to and from Indonesia through traditional border-crossing arrangements amid ongoing concerns over gun and drug smuggling across the porous, forested border.
The province has had to deal with an influx of people settling on customary land on the peripheries of Vanimo.
It is a trend reflective of the rest of the country.
A tumultuous 50 years
Overall, Papua New Guinea has had a tumultuous 50 years as an independent nation.
When founding Prime Minister Michael Somare and a group of young leaders decided on independence, they had the enormous challenge of uniting a fragmented collection of tribes under one flag.
The country has always been resilient in managing ethnic differences during crises.
In the founding years, there was uncertainty over the loyalty of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, as the government struggled to manage an independence movement led by Josephine Abaijah.
It later survived a 10-year civil war on Bougainville, followed by what could have turned into a military takeover in 1997 during the Sandline crisis.
Tony Wouwou Photo: Imelda Wavik/ESP development forum
Carefully worded
Governor Wouwou's statement was veiled in many respects.
While it did not directly mention ethnicity, it highlighted an undercurrent of local concerns over the large scale migration of people from other parts into the border province.
This is the first time in PNG's history that a provincial governor has openly imposed restrictions on members of one regional group.
The decision has sent shockwaves and has had a polarising effect on opinions across Papua New Guinea. Above all, it has exposed the dangerous fragility of a country with multiple tribes that speak more than 800 languages.
Watershed moment
Wabag MP Dr Lino Tom described the decision as a "watershed moment" and said that the incident should not be taken lightly by the government.
Tom moved to the opposition in 2024, citing unresolved law and order issues as a primary reason. He added there is a general distrust in the government.
"This event has transpired because people have risen to take preemptive and precautionary measures to protect themselves in a gross, uncivil, and illegitimate way.
"So, [do] we blame the people? Yes, we do. Because they have taken the law into their own hands, because they feel institutions of state will no longer protect their lives and property.
"They, unlike the rest, can see the unprecedented rise in law and order issues and are distressed."
Tom has warned against the public display of discriminatory decisions that could erode the country.
"Such draconian and discriminatory public measures, incited by the Governor of West Sepik, will destroy our fragile union."
Dr Lino Tom, Wabag MP Photo: PNG hausbung
Divisive political narrative
Wouwou is not the first governor to echo concerns about crime and mass internal migration that, in the current environment, sound deeply divisive.
Central Province governor Rufina Peter issued a statement last week, calling for the Marape-Rosso government to halt the Connect PNG road program, which is linking the hinterlands with coastal towns and cities.
She also called for "stronger immigration and law enforcement controls" for all "non-Papuan migrants entering Central Province."
Displacement and migration
For many Papua New Guineans, they feel, the tribal conflicts and the gun violence forcing the displacement of people from the highlands region needs to be addressed by political leaders of the region.
Ruth Kissam, a human rights defender who has worked with women and children displaced by tribal violence says the impact of the problem has broader implications for the rest of PNG.
"If a school closes down because of the threat of violence, people will start to move in order to look for better options for their children.
"To simply say that a whole province or a whole country is not affected by violence of internal displacement is actually not true. We have not actually looked at the impact of internal displacement on other provinces on education, health… even the SME sector."
Speak unity
Papua New Guinea's Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, meanwhile, has issued a statement calling for an end to the ethnically divisive narrative after the Vanimo incident.
He said that, while social media has been rife with "racist and regionalistic" comments, Papua New Guineans need to focus on a healthy discourse that promotes unity.
"As we head towards our 50th anniversary, we must be reminded that we have come a long way despite prediction of instability and chaos. We still have a long way to go.
"We must respect each other and the customs and cultures of the host province. Think unity."
