Violent ethnic clashes in Papua New Guinea’s port city of Lae have left up to nine people dead and forced the closure of many businesses in the vital hub, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said.
The rioting, which damaged and destroyed homes, businesses and other properties, has also reportedly left 1,000 people homeless.
O’Neill, who took the reins of the impoverished, but resource-rich Pacific country in August, has ordered 120 extra police to the town and said he stood ready to impose a state of emergency if calm was not restored soon.
“Lae has been gripped by violence since Thursday, resulting in destruction to properties and loss of nine lives reported,” a statement from the prime minister’s office said on Sunday.
The rioting, which reportedly began after youths protesting against rising crime began fighting with other groups, saw police use tear gas and guns on thousands of rioters, Radio New Zealand International said.
“Basically, it was total chaos throughout the weekend,” the station’s correspondent in the city said. “A lot of people used things like iron rods and bush knives to attack each other.”
The PNG National newspaper said it had independently confirmed five dead and 26 injured, while the Australian Broadcasting Corp said at least two people had died.
O’Neill said Lae’s port was a vital link for many parts of the rugged mountainous country and a shutdown would not only cripple businesses, but affect the national economy.
“We must not allow our law-abiding citizens to be dragged into this and turn it into an ethnic conflict,” he said in a statement. “We must act to bring the situation under control. I call on leaders in each community in the city to control their people and stand up against violence. I would like to see life in the city return to normal ... and businesses allowed to open their doors.”
O’Neill said an inquiry would be established to investigate the cause of the violence in the country’s second-largest city.
Police reports on the ground suggest that 1,000 people from the remote Highlands have been left homeless after their dwellings on the outskirts of town were burned, police media spokesman Dominic Kakas told the AAP newswire.
On Saturday, the Australian government updated its travel advisory for Papua New Guinea to warn that “clashes” had occurred in Lae since Friday and warned that “further violence could occur in coming days.”
OPTIMISTIC: A Philippine Air Force spokeswoman said the military believed the crew were safe and were hopeful that they and the jet would be recovered A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet and its two-person crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said yesterday. Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo said the jet was flying “over land” on the way to its target area when it went missing during a “tactical night operation in support of our ground troops.” While she declined to provide mission specifics, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent “to provide air support” to troops fighting communist rebels in
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
ECONOMIC DISTORTION? The US commerce secretary’s remarks echoed Elon Musk’s arguments that spending by the government does not create value for the economy US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Sunday said that government spending could be separated from GDP reports, in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. “You know that governments historically have messed with GDP,” Lutnick said on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures. “They count government spending as part of GDP. So I’m going to separate those two and make it transparent.” Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the US economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because
Hundreds of people in rainbow colors gathered on Saturday in South Africa’s tourist magnet Cape Town to honor the world’s first openly gay imam, who was killed last month. Muhsin Hendricks, who ran a mosque for marginalized Muslims, was shot dead last month near the southern city of Gqeberha. “I was heartbroken. I think it’s sad especially how far we’ve come, considering how progressive South Africa has been,” attendee Keisha Jensen said. Led by motorcycle riders, the mostly young crowd walked through the streets of the coastal city, some waving placards emblazoned with Hendricks’s image and reading: “#JUSTICEFORMUHSIN.” No arrest
RSS