EHP police receive human right training

As part of the Government’s commitment to strengthening rule of law in the country, human rights training of police officers continued last week in the Highlands.

Twenty-four police officers including six female officers from nine districts in Eastern Highlands Province (EHP) completing a four-day training on human rights in Goroka on April 4-7, 2017.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the training on Friday, April 7, 2017, the EHP Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Alex N’Drasal acknowledged that “Human rights is a very big issue, not only in PNG, but all over the world,” and noted that, “we are trying our best to cut it out.”

He stressed that the participants as police officers “Must always be alert on public complaints on human rights.”

The training was delivered in partnership with the Bomana Police Training College (BPTC) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

This marks the second batch to complete the training package on human rights which is scheduled to be rolled-out across the country this year.

The training facilitators included, Bomana Police Training College Chief Training Instructor, Chief Inspector Edwin Maritua, Inspector Paul Kipak, Sergeant Esther Levi, and Alithia Barampataz from OHCHR. 

Speaking on behalf of the participants who came from stations in Goroka, Kainantu, Aiyura, Henganofi, Okapa, Unggai Bena, Asari, and Yonki, Constable Catherine Arre, expressed that the training was very challenging for the participants, and that they would continue to share the knowledge they learned with their colleagues in their respective duty stations.

Participants were further encouraged by PPC N’Drasal to respect human rights in their personal as well as professional lives, as he stressed that, “human rights starts at home.”

Also delivering remarks to officially close the training, Senior Goroka Magistrate, Vetunawa, highlighted the integral connection between the law and justice sector and the police, emphasising that “justice begins with the police.”

The human rights training package covers critical human rights aspects related to policing, including non-discrimination, ethics, arrest and detention, use of force, and policing protests and assemblies.

 

 

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Press Release