Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary
Encyclopedia
The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) is a national police force with jurisdiction throughout all of Papua New Guinea
.
The Royal Papuan Constabulary, initially established by the Australian colonial administration as part of setting up Papua
in the late 19th century, and the New Guinea Police Force which covered the former German New Guinea
and British New Guinea also set up by Australia, initially during World War I and formalized as part of the League of Nations
mandate of 1920.
The constabulary played a significant role resisting the Japanese occupation of New Guinea during World War II. The two colonial territories were gradually amalgamated during and after World War II leading to the merger of the two forces. The structure was retained after Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975, although the name shifted from Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary to the present name with the removal of the "and" in 1972.
pidgin
variant of the Motu language
. During the colonial period, personnel needed to effectively administer the colony were scarce, so the colonial government recruited constables from the various Papua New Guinean peoples and nearby islands such as Fiji
and the Solomon Islands
. These recruits may have spoken any of about 700–800 different indigenous languages. To aid in communication, a common language was needed and the Police Motu pidgin arose.
The language was widely used not just by police but also by colonial administrators.
It was renamed Hiri Motu in the 1970s, due to the connotations of the word "police" and became one of the official languages of Papua New Guinea.
The RPNGC is part of the Law and Justice Sector of the government of Papua New Guinea. It is headquartered in Konedobu, a suburb of Port Moresby
, the capital city, in the National Capital District. As of 2008, the Police Commissioner is Gari Baki, with several Deputy Commissioners having responsibility for organizational functions and regions.
The RPNGC has been aided in the past by various Australian initiatives, including supplying police forces and providing hundreds of millions of Australian dollars in assistance with budget, equipment and staffing. This aid is governed under the 1989 Treaty on Development Cooperation and has been carried out in several 5 year phases.
For example, in phase II of the aid project, Australia budgeted AUS $80 million to deploy 53 full time officers and materiel support. Phase III of the same program saw a proposal for an Enhanced Cooperation Programme with over 200 officers dispatched to aid in operations in 2004. However after the PNG Supreme Court ruled the officers were not immune from prosecution, they were withdrawn amid diplomatic wrangling.
The RPNGC makes use of Community Auxiliary Police, volunteer forces that aid in policing rural communities.
The Constabulary also faces resource constraints (including shortages of such basic supplies as gasoline and stationery) and difficulties with internal discipline. Consequently, police are spread fairly thin, with correspondingly slow response times. While the Constabulary has a code of ethics, the Human Rights Watch
has noted difficulties such as reports of beatings and rape by officers, citizens alleging they feel less safe when police are around, female victims being asked for sex when reporting crimes, and general corruption. Amnesty International
in a February 1, 2006 letter to then Minister for Internal Security, Bire Kimisopa and then Commissioner of Police, Sam Inguba, claimed to have documented "extensive evidence of members of the RPNGC subjecting women and girls in custody to rape and other forms of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment", as well as requests for sexual favors from female victims before investigating crimes, and suggested additional recruitment of female police officers as a way to address the issue.
However, despite the internal issues, the RPNGC has been involved in giving aid to other countries and organizations in the region. For example, aid has been given to the Solomon Islands
as part of the RAMSI since July 2003.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
History
The RPNGC was formed from two predecessor bodies that existed prior to the independence of Papua New Guinea.The Royal Papuan Constabulary, initially established by the Australian colonial administration as part of setting up Papua
Papua (Australian territory)
The Territory of Papua comprised the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea from 1883 to 1949. It became a British Protectorate in the year 1884, and four years later it was formally annexed as British New Guinea...
in the late 19th century, and the New Guinea Police Force which covered the former German New Guinea
German New Guinea
German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
and British New Guinea also set up by Australia, initially during World War I and formalized as part of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
mandate of 1920.
The constabulary played a significant role resisting the Japanese occupation of New Guinea during World War II. The two colonial territories were gradually amalgamated during and after World War II leading to the merger of the two forces. The structure was retained after Papua New Guinea gained independence in 1975, although the name shifted from Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary to the present name with the removal of the "and" in 1972.
Special language
The RPNGC is known for the historic use of Police Motu, a lingua francaLingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
variant of the Motu language
Motu language
Motu is one of many Central Papuan Tip languages, and is spoken by the Motuans, native inhabitants of Papua New Guinea...
. During the colonial period, personnel needed to effectively administer the colony were scarce, so the colonial government recruited constables from the various Papua New Guinean peoples and nearby islands such as Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. These recruits may have spoken any of about 700–800 different indigenous languages. To aid in communication, a common language was needed and the Police Motu pidgin arose.
The language was widely used not just by police but also by colonial administrators.
It was renamed Hiri Motu in the 1970s, due to the connotations of the word "police" and became one of the official languages of Papua New Guinea.
Organization
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, the capital city, in the National Capital District. As of 2008, the Police Commissioner is Gari Baki, with several Deputy Commissioners having responsibility for organizational functions and regions.
The RPNGC has been aided in the past by various Australian initiatives, including supplying police forces and providing hundreds of millions of Australian dollars in assistance with budget, equipment and staffing. This aid is governed under the 1989 Treaty on Development Cooperation and has been carried out in several 5 year phases.
For example, in phase II of the aid project, Australia budgeted AUS $80 million to deploy 53 full time officers and materiel support. Phase III of the same program saw a proposal for an Enhanced Cooperation Programme with over 200 officers dispatched to aid in operations in 2004. However after the PNG Supreme Court ruled the officers were not immune from prosecution, they were withdrawn amid diplomatic wrangling.
The RPNGC makes use of Community Auxiliary Police, volunteer forces that aid in policing rural communities.
Challenges
Papua New Guinea does not have a tradition of strong local police authorities. The RPNGC has around 4800 constables charged with enforcing the law in a country of four million people. The RPNGC faces obstacles in trying to gain the cooperation of PNG communities, which frequently prefer to deal with criminals by themselves.The Constabulary also faces resource constraints (including shortages of such basic supplies as gasoline and stationery) and difficulties with internal discipline. Consequently, police are spread fairly thin, with correspondingly slow response times. While the Constabulary has a code of ethics, the Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
has noted difficulties such as reports of beatings and rape by officers, citizens alleging they feel less safe when police are around, female victims being asked for sex when reporting crimes, and general corruption. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
in a February 1, 2006 letter to then Minister for Internal Security, Bire Kimisopa and then Commissioner of Police, Sam Inguba, claimed to have documented "extensive evidence of members of the RPNGC subjecting women and girls in custody to rape and other forms of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment", as well as requests for sexual favors from female victims before investigating crimes, and suggested additional recruitment of female police officers as a way to address the issue.
However, despite the internal issues, the RPNGC has been involved in giving aid to other countries and organizations in the region. For example, aid has been given to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
as part of the RAMSI since July 2003.
External links
- official site of the constabulary
- historical images