CONFLICTING accounts have emerged between the United States and Chinese embassies in Papua New Guinea over a suspicious object discovered inside a shipping container at Napanapa Wharf in Port Moresby last Friday while the country’s two key security institutions – the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) – have yet to issue any official public statements or comments clarifying the nature of the object and the circumstances surrounding its discovery.
The United States Embassy has disputed claims by the Chinese Embassy that the object was merely a decorative wine bottle shaped like an artillery shell, maintaining that it was an unexploded Chinese-manufactured artillery projectile containing explosives and a fuse.
In a statement, the US Embassy said personnel from the United States Department of War had directly engaged with Papua New Guinea’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, which examined the suspicious object.
Referring to publicly reported PNG police findings, the US Embassy stressed that the object was not simply a wine bottle.
“An artillery projectile or a wine bottle? The facts matter,” the US Embassy stated.
The Embassy further described the discovery as a serious public safety matter, saying Papua New Guineans deserve accurate information and a thorough investigation.
It also commended PNG police and defence personnel for their response, reaffirming the United States’ support for Papua New Guinea in protecting its people, national security and sovereignty.
However, the Chinese Embassy has presented a different account, insisting that the object was a decorative wine bottle designed in the shape of an artillery shell and posed no danger to the public.
According to the Chinese Embassy, information provided by the company involved indicated that an on-site inspection had confirmed the object’s identity as a wine bottle.
The Embassy said it was awaiting the official findings of an investigation by the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary
(RPNGC) and maintained that the police had been fully updated on the company’s findings.
It also rejected suggestions that an illegal military-grade artillery shell could have been smuggled out of China, citing the country’s strict firearm control laws and regulations.
Meanwhile, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary has yet to issue an official public statement clarifying the identity of the suspicious object since its discovery at Napanapa Wharf last Friday.
The Papua New Guinea Defence Force has also not publicly released an official statement addressing the matter.
The absence of public clarification from the two key PNG security institutions has left questions surrounding the discovery unanswered, particularly as the United States and Chinese embassies continue to present conflicting accounts.
With serious public safety concerns involved, the public will be looking to PNG authorities for an official explanation of what was discovered, the results of the examination and whether any further investigation is underway.
For now, the identity of the object remains disputed in public
statements, and an authoritative clarification from the relevant PNG authorities is still awaited.
The central question remains: Was the object an unexploded artillery projectile or a decorative wine bottle? Papua New Guineans deserve a clear, factual and transparent answer.