The National

Papua New Guinea’s Police Commissioner David Manning has declared emergency orders to safeguard infrastructure and residents in Porgera due to escalating law and order issues brought about by illegal miners.

Manning said police would be increasing the legitimate use of force to remove combatants in order to protect critical infrastructure, including the Porgera Mine, a critical asset for the national economy facing increasing threats.

Enga Governor Peter Ipatas on Sunday called on the government to implement a state of emergency due to escalating law and order issues in recent weeks.

Ipatas said: “if these security challenges are not addressed promptly, there is an ongoing risk of the mine being shut down to safeguard its operations and personnel, which could have significant economic impact for the country”.

Manning said: “This worsening situation is caused by illegal miners and settlers who are using violence to victimise and terrorise the traditional landowners.

“Emergency orders have been declared to protect life and important infrastructure in the valley, where I have directed police to remove illegal miners and settlers.

“We have 122 security personnel on the ground, including mobile squad, dog squads and Sector Response Unit as well as personnel from Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF).”

He said Deputy Commissioner (Regional operations) Samson Kua was deployed to effect on-the-ground command in Porgera and would be aided by Assistant Commissioner Joseph Tondop.

“Security personnel will use legitimate lethal force where appropriate to protect the innocent, meaning that any person carrying an offensive weapon in public will be considered a threat and dealt with accordingly, with force,” Manning said.

“Porgera station is declared off-limits to people who are non-residents and a curfew is in effect between 6pm to 8pm, which will be strictly enforced along with a total liquor ban.”

Governor Ipatas issued an urgent plea to the government following a surge in tribal violence in Porgera Valley over the past few days.

“The violence has led to loss of many innocent lives, displacement of people, property destruction and heightened fears for the safety of local residents and businesses,” he said.

“This situation is dire. We have witnessed innocent lives being claimed and properties destroyed within days. The current situation can’t continue,” said Ipatas.

“The government must act swiftly to implement the SOE for Porgera Valley to restore peace and order.”

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

For weeks, we have seen the election violence as it spread in horrific proportions around the Highlands region, mainly in Enga and other provinces there.

Men, women, and even children caught up in the fray costing lives and properties into the millions.

Yesterday, the capital city also came under similar election related violence for the first time.

Video footage captured by pedestrians commuting between two of the city’s most busiest shopping centres, in the heart of the capital city at Waigani, adjacent to the municipal authority, the country’s major sporting infrastructure hub where counting is done, and less than a kilometre from the nation’s seat of power Parliament House, human beings were hacked in front of children along a main arterial road.

It seemed the worst fears of the violence in the Highlands had just reared its ugly head yesterday around 3pm near the counting vicinity of the Sir John Guise stadium.

Supporters of candidates contesting the Moresby Northeast clashed following disputes that originated within the venue and escalated outside into a fully fledged machete-wielding hunt that saw three individuals slashed.

We wonder why this is taking place in the capital. Is it enough we have parts of the country facing turmoil and the weak and innocent already threatened with death, the capital then grinds to a halt at the hands of thugs?

Thugs with nothing better to do
Yes, thugs, who have nothing better to do then fighting to kill for just one individual and outcome.

We commend the work of the security forces, who while they were not able to prevent the initial hacking that took place, were able to react swiftly and evict all those camping out in makeshift tents along the road reserves beside the stadium, the main gathering points sheltering such thugs.

The Post-Courier joins the call by prominent Papua New Guinea business leader and advocate for change Anthony Smaré who reacted with a call on all leaders looking to consolidate their political future in the 11th Parliament to form government, while the capital seems set to ignite in violence if not addressed very soon.

“So now we have people chopping up other people with machetes outside counting venues in the nation’s capital!

“Law breakers want to become law makers!

“This insanity is happening in Port Moresby, outside the national stadium, the largest shopping centre and opposite city hall, within 1km of Parliament House, Supreme Court, Government offices, and PM’s official residence! 500 meters from embassies of Australia, NZ, Britain, and China.

‘In the seat of power!’
“It’s one thing when this violence happens in distant places like Porgera and people can cover their ears with their hands and say police should deal with it, but now it’s in the seat of power itself!

“Potential Prime Ministers, you need to abandon your camps and come back to Port Moresby and show some national leadership calling for restoration of rule of law and calm.

“Seize the opportunity this provides to you to act prime ministerial — come out in public and call for calm. If you want to be national leaders, show some traits of NATIONAL LEADERSHIP!” Smaré stated bluntly.

We support this call and call on the very leaders who are supposed to lead, to lead, whether re-elected, new, or incumbent, heads of security forces, you all have a form of influence that goes beyond any win.

Port Moresby is the capital city.

If it falls into violence because proactive leadership was not taken, then God help us all.

This editorial was published by the PNG Post-Courier today, 25 July 2022. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

“It’s okay, we’ll just sit here and they can come kill us.”

These chilling words are from a defenceless woman (name withheld) who has seen first-hand the continuous killings in Papua New Guinea’s Porgera Valley, Enga province and accepting what could be the ultimate fate for her and her family.

Women and children in villages in that part of the country literally have nowhere to run since the killing spree has continued unabated in the gold valley, now tainted bloody and with ashes.

Attacks on villages in more than a year between warring clans of Nomali and Aiyala — not election related — can happen anywhere between 2 and 3 in the morning, and even during broad daylight.

There is nowhere safe, not even churches.

Police are outnumbered as the self-acclaimed thugs walk freely into villages and start firing indiscriminately with military grade weapons killing men, women, and children.

The hired guns are said to be there to make the kill and move on to the next victims.

Scared for their lives
The woman who spoke to the PNG Post-Courier said she and a large group of women and children were scared for their lives and the worry that it could be their last day to live.

“These warlords will walk into our villages destroying and burning down houses as early as 2am or 3am, even at dawn,” she said.

“We don’t sleep at night. All we do is pray to God for help. We don’t know where to go, we are helpless,” she said.

“My people fled the village and ran away. This week we heard that men were coming to attack us in the night.

“I did not know what to do so I just walked out onto the road and met some youths from my village, who told me plainly that there is nowhere for us to run too.

“So I said, ‘it’s okay let’s just sit here and if they come and kill us so be it’.”

She said mothers with children would have to run for their lives at any moment during the night to find the nearest hiding place for a few hours until dawn so they could look for a new place to go to within the besieged area.

No help in sight
This has been happening with no help in sight to address the tribal conflicts that have raged on long before this month’s general elections even surfaced.

With resources and concentration focused on the current polls taking place in the country, the self-proclaimed warlords have taken over the valley, raping women, killing people and burning down government and business properties.

Porgera has now turned into a killing field as public servants and those working in businesses in the valley have fled for their safety.

She said they had lost count of how many people had died.

“With the closure of Paiam Hospital, those who are injured very badly just sleep here under our watch, those in a critical condition will not make it,” she said.

“The roads out have been blocked, many have left with some more leaving but this does not stop the killing, every day we have a target on our backs,” she said.

Another community leader (name withheld) on the ground said the district needed a state of emergency declared.

21 killed by warlords
“Just today [Wednesday, July 20], a total of 21 people have been killed by unknown warlords. The victims are from Porgera, Tari and Kandep.

“Eight people were killed at Kanamanda Church area just next to Kia Kona at Paiam and a further seven were ambushed at Upper Maipagi, located at upper parts of Porgera station while they were looking for firewood in the bush,” he said.

“A young girl was killed among that 21 and others are fighting for their lives.

“It’s no more tribal conflict but a sort of genocide. Warlords hunting innocent lives even if they are not their enemies.

“This should have been prevented if the Defence Force deployed last month were not withdrawn straight after polling at Porgera.

“This time the government has failed us,” he said, clearly wondering whether their cries were being heard at all.

Melisha Yafoi is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

A brutal massacre in Porgera town yesterday afternoon in which 18 innocent people were killed has rocked Enga province and shocked Papua New Guinea.

Local police chief acting Superintendent George Kakas was shocked by the act of violence in the wake of the country’s national elections — he was left speechless when told by field officers about the killings.

Last night, caretaker Prime Minister James Marape said Porgera was now in a state of emergency.

“We have called out additional manpower from both the military and police, not just for Porgera but for other areas that need special assistance as well,” he said.

“We will beef up security as election requirements have diluted normal police work and the present killing is related to an ongoing tribal fight.”

In his policing career, Kakas has seen worse but yesterday’s act was one he thought was the work of a deranged mob who had no respect for the sanctity of life.

Of the 18 dead, 13 were men and 5 were women. They were going about their normal lives when men armed with machetes and axes hacked them to death.

Hour of wanton destruction
It was an hour of wanton destruction in which no one in the path of the rampaging tribesmen was spared, Kakas said.

Pictures of the dead posted online showed a trail of destruction with murderous intent. It seemed none of the dead had any chance of escaping.

In one picture, a woman clad in a PNG meri blouse lay next to a young girl, probably her daughter.

In another, a man and a woman lie side by side, having fallen where they were attacked.

The woman is on her knees, cowering in a foetal position, probably having begged for mercy — a futile attempt to evade the inevitable.

Men examining the scene looking for relatives were shown carrying bush knives and axes.

In turbulent Enga these are normal weapons.

Disputed gold mine
Porgera is the site of the disputed giant gold mine which has been closed for almost two years.

A violent tribal fight between the Aiyala and Nomali tribes has been raging, which has severely affected the elections in that part of the region.

The 18 deaths brings to 70 the number of people killed in Porgera in the past four months.

Although an emergency was declared in Porgera, the fighting between Aiyala and Nomali has continued, Superintendent Kakas said.

Security forces are present in Porgera Town. Together with local police, there are about 150 police and army personnel, however they are outnumbered by the tribal warriors, who are heavily armed.

“The 13 men and 5 women were killed in Paiam and Upper Porgera on Wednesday afternoon,” Kakas said.

Of the 18, five people were killed in Upper Porgera Station and 13 people killed at Paiam.

“Out of the 18 deaths, 3 men from Porgera town area were killed by Kandeps. This killing related to the ongoing tribal fight at Paiam has now escalated to Pogera Town.”

Troops moving in
“Police Commissioner David Manning said last night the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) contribution troops for the task force were in the process of moving into Enga.

“There is no SOE declared, 120 soldiers from the 2nd PIR Bravo Company were sent in yesterday afternoon. They are based in Wabag and once all logistics are in place, they will further deploy to the electorates of Porgera, Laiagam, and Kompiam and join their RPNGC MS counterparts who are currently on the ground.”

Manning said the task force had 60 days to restore the rule of law in the electorates, secure the mine and provide protection for repairs to be done on damaged bridges –– especially on the Wabag-Kompiam road.

“We received reports of continuous killings in Porgera that began over the weekend. Priority deployment is to the Porgera valley, to quell the fighting between the local Porgereans and settlers from other parts of Enga Province,” he said.

“We have received urgent pleas to also evacuate non-Engans who currently work up there — for them to be escorted to safety.

“The 3 meter wide, 4-5 meter deep trench that was dug across the Surinki stretch of Wabag-Porgera road is still undergoing repairs. However, a temporary bypass has been constructed to allow traffic.”

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz