AsiaPacificReport.nz
For three weeks, more than 5000 students at the national University of Papua New Guinea have had a stand-off with the government of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and their own management.
A petition calling on O’Neill to stand down and face an investigation into corruption allegations was finally delivered to the prime minister yesterday.
The students gave an ultimatum that he must stand aside or there would be a mass withdrawal of students from the tail-end of UPNG’s semester.
“Citizen Journalist” has been on the ground at UPNG as the saga unfolded, filing for Asia Pacific Report. Here are some of his pictures:
UPNG students protest
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1. Students at the 19 May 2016 protest rally at the UPNG forum. Image: Citizen Journalist
2. National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop (second from left) meets student leaders for the handover of a petition calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to stand down. Image: Citizen Journalist
3. “Respect the law, Prime Minister!” message on the UPNG campus. Image: Citizen Journalist
4. Week 2 of the student protests around the country. A “montage” of developments. Image: Citizen Journalist
5. UPNG management orders students and staff back to class at the end of Week 2 of the protest. Image: Citizen Journalist
6. UPNG protests in national groups around campus at the start of Week 3. Image: Citizen Journalist
7. Student protesters pack on the Waigani campus forum. Image: Citizen Journalist
8. A Waigani campus student roadblock. Image: Citizen Journalist
9. UPNG management request police to take control of campus “security”. Image: Citizen Journalist
10. Students toppled a bust of the architect of India’s independence, Mahatma Gandhi, gifted by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. It was hidden at UPNG’s security base. Image: Citizen Journalist
11. Police and media on the Waigani campus … relaxed. Image: Citizen Journalist
12. “Sit-in” students catch up with the news about UPNG. Earlier students burned 800 copies of the Post-Courier and National newspapers, claiming “bias” against them. Image: Citizen Journalist
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