Curtis’ seminar explores PNG’s Police–Defence ties via key case studies, focusing on contested force, legitimacy, and identity from a state-in-society perspective.
The research investigates the relationship between the Police and Defence Force of Papua New Guinea through the portal of several case studies, including the Black Wednesday Riots of 2024, the National General Election of 2022, and the Sandline Affair of 1997. Adopting a state-in-society perspective, Curtis' research deals with contested claims on the legitimate use of force by both state and non-state actors while engaging with concepts of interest, identity and legitimacy in order to inform a holistic view of the role of violence in Papua New Guinea society. This seminar is a Mid-Term Review and focuses primarily on recently completed field research.
Event Speakers
Curtis O'Toole
Curtis joined DPA as a PhD scholar in 2020. His PhD research is examining the dynamics of the relationship between police and military forces of Papua New Guinea. His thesis hopes to explain the causes of the tensions in the relationship while also giving attention to occasions of cooperation between these groups.