The government in Papua New Guinea, on Wednesday (Jan 10) asked the military to restore order in the capital amid violence that broke out after police went on strike over pay leading to protests and unrest. A mob of people reportedly attacked shops and businesses and even torched a police car outside the prime minister’s office.
‘Deadly protests’
On Wednesday morning, soldiers, police officers and prison staff staged a protest in the PNG capital city of Port Moresby after noticing their pay had been docked without explanation.
However, as the day progressed, parts of the capital began witnessing unrest. AFP citing videos from social media reported that crowds were seen looting shops while the police scrambled to restore order.
“It’s unfortunate that the situation has turned out this way, so uncalled for,” said police commissioner David Manning. He added, “But we are doing all we can to control the situation in the city.”
Extra police were being moved into Port Moresby from regional areas, said Manning in a statement.
Speaking about the unrest in the capital, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop said in a broadcast on radio station FM100 that property in Port Moresby had been looted by “opportunists” after events “spiralled out of control.”
The extent of damage and casualties, if any, was not immediately clear but Parkop said, “Some people sadly lost their life today.” He added, “We have seen unprecedented level of strife in our city, something that has never happened before in the history of our city and our country.”
While it was the security forces that started the demonstrations, it was not clear if they were responsible for the violence that followed. An AFP correspondent said a mix of “police, soldiers and civilians” appeared to be involved.
Fires were seen burning across the city on Wednesday, and according to a report by PNG Post Courier newspaper firefighters had been threatened as they tried to do their jobs. The guard house at parliament had also reportedly been burnt.
The United States embassy said shots had been fired near its compound and advised its employees to shelter in place until further notice.
Meanwhile, the Australian High Commission said that it has stepped up security measures.
Paramedics were called to treat victims of shootings and an explosion amid a “significant emergency situation,” reported Australia’s 9News.
Govt deploys military personnel
The police had begun a strike on Wednesday morning after discovering a reduction in their pay packets which the government has attributed to an unintended glitch and has promised to fix promptly.
Prime Minister James Marape appealed to the citizens to protect the city and said the National Executive Council had approved an order for defence forces to be called in to “restore order” in Port Moresby.
He added, “The police and public servant grievances are being addressed and by next pay the lost salary would be restored.” Marape also went on to blame “government payroll people” who he said failed to update the non-taxpaying threshold for public servants.
(With inputs from agencies)
