THE inaugural Pacific Police Tattoo ended today in a grand and emotional ceremony at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium in Port Moresby.
It marked the end of a spectacular three-day event that brought together police forces and bands from eight Pacific Island nations.
The event hosted by the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) featured dazzling military-style parades, and musical displays by police bands from Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Kiribati. The Tattoo was hailed as a symbol of unity, peace, and shared values in policing across the region.
In delivering the official closing remarks, Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, warmly welcomed visiting police commissioners and dignitaries from across the Pacific.
“I’d also like to have a warm welcome to the visiting Pacific chiefs of police and commissioners from various Pacific Island countries that sit here today,” he said.
“I extend my warmest welcome and a lot of thanks to all the band, performers, and guests who have made this inaugural Pacific Police Tattoo such an outstanding success,” he stated. “this morning, we have witnessed exceptional performances. Each one has delivered. Thank you. It was really special.”
Mr Rosso stressed that the event was more than just ceremony and entertainment, calling it “a powerful symbol of unity that binds us, that we are connected by common values and a shared commitment to peace and security”.
“To the Chiefs of Police from across the Pacific, thank you for your support and for championing this inaugural tattoo. Your presence and participation send a strong and clear message that together we are united, together we are stronger.
“Cooperation is the key to resilience, progress, and a safer Pacific for all our people,” he continued.
“The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary has a proud and distinguished history, tracing its origins back to 1888, long before independence,” Rosso said. “From its early days as a small colonial force, it has grown and evolved alongside our nation.”
“As Papua New Guinea marks its 50th anniversary of our independence, this tattoo could not have come at a more meaningful moment. We are a people of a thousand tribes and languages, united, woven together by a shared identity and a common purpose.”
Rosso concluded with a powerful message of resilience and regional togetherness.
“We remain together united. We remain together consolidated. We remain together as one solwara. Let this Pacific Police Tattoo stand as a reminder of what is possible when we unite as neighbors, as partners, as brothers and sisters.”