PNG braces for ‘payback’ against police
Print Edition
TOURISTS, expats and business owners in Papua New Guinea joined locals in hunkering down for a night of potential violence amid fears of “payback” against the nation’s police force after it opened fire on a group of students, wounding several.
“This is going to get worse before it gets better,” Greg Anderson, executive director of the Papua New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum said from Port Moresby, where a protest against the government of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill erupted yesterday. “Incidents like this trigger paybacks, which could easily spiral out of control.”
Papua New Guinea, off Australia’s north coast, remains largely undeveloped and many of its 7 million tribal people still adhere to traditional customs. Payback, or retribution for an offense against a clan member, remains widespread.
Andrew Johnston, a documentary maker who has lived in Port Moresby for 28 years, said the town was in gridlock and he had retreated to his home for safety after witnessing the father of one of the severely wounded students rallying a crowd outside the hospital.
“He told the crowd of angry students and other relatives that he was going to cut off the head of Peter O’Neill and hold it up in the air on a plate,” Johnston said. “The crowd roared.”
Dozens were wounded yesterday when police opened fire on a student demonstration in the capital and riots spread to other cities, officials said.
Virgin Australia turned back a flight from Brisbane to Port Moresby amid reports of the violence and Qantas Airways canceled one of its flights. Both carriers said they would continue to assess the situation before deciding whether to resume flights today.
Even at the best of times, Port Moresby is one of the most violent cities, with gangs of “raskols” blamed for a high number of rapes and murders.
PNG Police Minister Robert Atiyafa warned that “opportunists who are intent on burning buildings, smashing cars and assaulting students who do not want to protest, will be arrested and charged.”
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