So what’s the truth about Papua New Guinea? Is it really a lawless land where angels fear to tread, as the Australian media tends to portray it?
PNG has its share of crime the same as any other country, but for a country with a population of 5 million and a pre-colonial history of head-hunting and tribal warfare, one might say PNG today is remarkably sedate. 95% of the country is quiet and safe, and crime is largely limited to urban areas where unemployed and desperate young men try to rob others to meet their needs for money and status.
The perception that crime in PNG is "out of control" is precipitated by the popular perception (in the West) of the South Seas being a tranquil part of the world where the local people just lie on the beach and eat coconuts all day. These days in PNG however, this expectation of peace and tranquility is confronted by the harsh social and economic realities of a country with 5 million people that only began to emerge from the stone age 100 years ago. Urban drift and unemployment create overcrowding, poverty and crime in the major towns.
In Port Moresby, Lae and Mount Hagen it is possible to be attacked and robbed if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. To be fair, this can also happen to you on the Cairns foreshore or in Sydney’s Hyde Park. It’s just that when these things happen in PNG it all seems so much more grave because things like that aren’t supposed to happen in the idyllic South Seas.
Organised "rascal" gangs seem to have declined in Port Moresby in recent years and crime seems to be more random and opportunistic these days, which means that keeping away from crowded markets and dark streets is the best way to avoid trouble. These are places that tourists do not normally visit in Port Moresby anyway. Call me lucky but in seven years living in Port Moresby I have never even seen a rascal nor been a victim of one, simply by maintaining a good level of personal security awareness when moving about the city.
It is unfortunate that tribal fighting and isolated violence sometimes paint a bleak picture of the whole country and tourists are warned to stay away. This is illogical on two counts. First it is like saying that tourists shouldn’t go to Ayer’s Rock because somebody was mugged in Sydney. Secondly it should be noted that crime against tourists is actually very rare in PNG. Even in Port Moresby, the only crime against a tourist we have heard of in the past 12 months was a bag-snatching from the front seat of a car at a petrol station.
Ecotourism Melanesia is conscious of personal safety for our visitors and we do not make tour arrangements in any areas we consider unsafe. For all destinations we work closely with the local people to ensure that your visit is well planned and the welcome smile is genuine. On arrival in Port Moresby we meet our clients at the airport and provide hotel transfers by private car with a uniformed driver who is in contact with our office by two way radio.
ECOTOURISM MELANESIA LTD
Unit 1 Lot 3 Section 444, Ranu Place
Four Mile Hill, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea
(Postal address: PO Box 24 Waigani NCD)
Phone & Fax (675) 323 4518
E-mail ecomel(at)online.net.pg · Website: www.em.com.pg
