Fears have been raised in Papua New Guinea (PNG) concerning the construction of a new highway connecting the Western and Gulf provinces of the small nation.
Politicians in the fragile democracy are concerned that the “Trans Western-Gulf Highway” project could aid drug and weapons dealers in the country.
“Drugs are being brought down from Karamui in Simbu and the Eastern Highlands provinces and further across to Western province where it is traded for cash and firearms,” Mark Maipakai, the national Housing Minister said.
PNG is currently experiencing major law and order problems in the territory it is able to control as well as simmering seperatist issues in some areas and even a trans-border problem with the independence movement in neighbouring Indonesia (West Irian). The prospect of easing the current difficulties associated with the trafficking of arms and drugs may therefore not be a particularly enticing option for many in PNG.
The dilemna, is that the project will also have a beneficial effect with regards to the buildling of a gas pipeline between PNG and Australia supplying much needed capital for the cash strapped PNG government.
And so, it looks like the traffickers, in this instance, might win.