2024-01-11 14:24:58
Bloody riots broke out in Papua New Guinea and the capital entered a state of emergency. A night of violence in the country’s two major cities has left 15 people dead. Chinese people have reportedly been targeted for robberies and attacks.
Publish time: 11/01/2024 – 15:24
8 minutes
PNG Prime Minister James Marape declared a two-week state of emergency in the capital on Thursday, January 11. He added that under the emergency decree, more than 1,000 soldiers were ready to intervene “if necessary”.
On Wednesday night (January 10), violent clashes broke out in the capital, Port Moresby, as soldiers, police and prison guards who had suffered inexplicable pay cuts held protests once morest the government. Angry mobs set fire to buildings and looted shops in a chaotic night before the violence spread to Lae, regarding 300 kilometers to the north.
Papua New Guinea Police Commissioner David Manning confirmed on Thursday that at least 15 people had died in the violence in the country’s two main cities.
According to data obtained by AFP, Port Moresby’s main hospital treated 25 patients with gunshot wounds and another six with “machete” cuts.
Earlier, a group gathered outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Port Moresby, knocking down a security fence and setting fire to a parked police car.
The Chinese suffered
Video captured by AFP in the capital showed looters bursting into stores through smashed windows and stuffing their loot into cardboard boxes, shopping carts and plastic buckets. Buildings and cars were set on fire, and thick black smoke enveloped the worst-hit areas of the city.
Beijing lodged a complaint with the Papua New Guinea government following reports emerged that rioters were targeting Chinese companies.
According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two Chinese citizens were “slightly injured” in the violence.
“We remind Chinese citizens in Papua New Guinea to pay close attention to the development of the local security situation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said on Thursday.
The US Embassy in Port Moresby reported that shots were fired near the embassy as police attempted to “disperse a group of looters”.
Port Moresby resident Maho Laveil, who teaches economics at the University of Papua New Guinea, said peace had “largely been restored” by Thursday evening.
“They drove away the looters and stopped the building from burning,” he told AFP.
darkest day
Powes Parkop, the premier of the region where the capital is located, called the riots an “unprecedented conflict” in Port Moresby, while local newspaper the Post Courier said the riots were “unprecedented” in the city. “The Darkest Day”.
PNG’s security forces staged a protest inside Papua New Guinea’s parliament following seeing their salaries cut without reason.
Although the government quickly promised to correct what it called a “technical problem,” it was not enough to stop disgruntled civilians from joining the unrest.
The prime minister said four officials implicated in the issue: the heads of personnel, finance and treasury, and police chief David Manning, have all been suspended for 14 days.
The outbreak of violence highlights the difficulties in Papua New Guinea, a country plagued by poverty and high crime rates.
PNG is located regarding 200 kilometers north of Australia and is the largest and most populous country in the Melanesian island group.
Papua New Guinea is rich in natural gas, gold and mineral resources, but human rights groups estimate that nearly 40% of the country’s 9 million residents still live below the poverty line.
Australia recently signed a security agreement with Papua New Guinea, pledging to help the PNG police force combat arms trafficking, drug smuggling and tribal violence.
“We continue to call on Papua New Guinea to remain calm during this difficult time,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.
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