The act was passed in response to increasing criminal activities in both rural and urban areas and foreign investor concerns over law and order in Papua New Guinea. Terrorism is defined in the act as the use of violence to achieve political goals or to cause public fear. The act identifies offenses and penalties and vests wide powers of search, arrest, detention, and forfeiture in the police and officials known as examination officers. Examination officers have the authority to examine, search, arrest, and detain persons who have been in, are in, or are about to enter prohibited or restricted areas. Human rights groups are concerned that the Internal Security Act will violate certain constitutional freedoms, while others contend that the act represents a symbolic response to appease investment and business communities and to demonstrate that the government is taking the law and order situation seriously. The law and order approach to certain issues, such as land rights and economic development, may exacerbate rather than resolve conflict. 7 references and 5 photographs