Australia announced the deployment of a 300-strong police and defence contingent to Papua New Guinea’s maritime border on Saturday — the largest Australian security operation on Pacific soil since the 1990s — after intelligence indicated Indonesian migrant boats were rerouting through PNG waters following intensified South China Sea patrols.
The deployment, approved by both governments under the bilateral security treaty, will see Australian Federal Police and Royal Australian Navy personnel stationed at four coastal observation posts along PNG’s western maritime frontier with Indonesia.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape confirmed the agreement in a press conference in Port Moresby, saying it would “protect our sovereignty while honouring our regional partnerships.” Marape said the deployment was a “practical response to practical challenges” and denied it was aimed at any single country.
The deployment drew a sharp protest from Jakarta. Indonesia’s foreign ministry said it had not been consulted and warned the move could “destabilise the Coral Sea balance.” A statement from the Indonesian embassy in Canberra called the deployment “an unnecessary provocation that undermines the spirit of bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and its neighbours.”
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the deployment was “entirely defensive in nature” and aimed at combating people-smuggling, illegal fishing, and transnational crime. “This is about keeping the region safe,” Marles said. “It is not directed at Indonesia or any other nation.”
The US Embassy in Port Moresby issued a statement backing the arrangement, saying the United States “supports Papua New Guinea’s right to work with partners to secure its maritime borders.” The statement did not mention Indonesia by name.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton supported the deployment but called for greater transparency about its scope and duration. The Greens criticised the operation as “militarising the Pacific” and called for a parliamentary inquiry.
PNG’s opposition leader, Joseph Lelang, questioned whether the country was being drawn into a “great-power contest” and called for the deployment terms to be debated in parliament. “We must ensure PNG is not used as a pawn in someone else’s strategic game,” Lelang said.
The deployment comes amid a broader strategic realignment in the Pacific, with Australia, the US, and China all competing for influence. China has invested heavily in PNG infrastructure, including a controversial port development at Daru Island that Australian intelligence believes could have dual military use.
Financial markets took the announcement in stride, with the Australian dollar steady at US$0.653. Defence analysts at the Lowy Institute said the deployment signalled “a new phase of Australian engagement in the Pacific” that went beyond traditional aid and diplomatic support.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton supported the deployment but called for greater transparency about its scope and duration. The Greens criticised the operation as “militarising the Pacific” and called for a parliamentary inquiry. The deployment will be reviewed after 12 months, with a final decision on its extension to be made by both governments jointly.
Sources: Reuters, AP, ABC Australia, The Guardian Australia, Jakarta Post, BBC, RNZ Pacific, Lowy Institute.
Written by Kenji Tanaka, Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief
Kenji Tanaka
Kenji Tanaka covers Asia Pacific security, technology, and geopolitics from Tokyo.