Outbreak of race violence in Moresby & Lae

A dramatic outbreak of unexplained lawlessness and looting on the streets of Lae yesterday morning took on the grim appearance of a race riot. One youth was reportedly hacked to death and other people were injured.

Thousands of men and boys stormed Chinese shops throughout the city bringing Lae to a standstill and catching the police off guard. The Lae police commander said he did not know the cause of the riot.

The PNG National reported youths as saying: “We are frustrated with small Asian shops sprouting unnecessarily, selling cheap items around the city. Who is allowing these Asians to come into our country and own small businesses which should be owned by Papua New Guineans? Mipela tait na les pinis long ol Kongkong nabaut ya. Mipela ino wari long polis tu. Inap em inap.”

The Post-Courier talked to a shocked Chinese businessman who was preparing to leave PNG as a result of the attack. He said that, following five years in Lae, he was calling it quits after his shop was looted. “I cannot stay here, I am scared of what has happened,” he said.

Police said attacks on Asian shops started as early as 5am, taking businesses, government agencies, schools, markets and other institutions by surprise and forcing them to close. By 10 the city was shut down.

Looters rushed into shops stealing tills and goods. Guards were left helpless. Police fired tear gas and warning shots and thrashed stubborn rioters with batons and vehicle fan belts to disperse them.

“It was the first time the city experienced mob looting that struck three major shopping areas at once,” said Momase police, who did not know the identity of the organisers.

Media reports said the riot was triggered by a protest march in Port Moresby on Tuesday in which youths called on National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop to place restrictions on foreigners operating small businesses.

The NCD police commander said he had approved Tuesday’s civil society march saying it was nothing more than a peaceful protest. However, Asian shops in the city were targeted by protesters and closed their doors. On Wednesday, police were caught by surprise again when several Asian shops, especially those belonging to Chinese nationals, were ransacked.

In a separate development, the PNG Government has said it is thinking of bringing back an Australian team of police. Acting Prime Minister Dr Puka Temu told Parliament that the Government was also contemplating getting a foreigner to be Police Commissioner.

Sources: ‘Mobs loot in Lae’ by Franco Nebas and Poreni Umau [Post-Courier]; ‘Asian shops hit in Lae’ by Pisai Gumar [National], ‘Top city cop urges Asians to trade again’ by Travertz Mabone [National], ‘Government considers getting a foreigner as police chief by Gorethy Kenneth [Post-Courier]

Comments

[Bob Curtis.]

Colin Huggins is quite right. We are seeing another tragic act in the collapse of law and Order, a collapse predicted by many Officers of the Pre Independence Administration. Racial tensions developed in most countries with a Colonial history, but we fondly hoped that our benign Administration and our attitude would avoid the bloodshed experienced in African Nations, Indonesia,the Philipines, and Fiji.
My service, the Extension Division of DASF( the Teaching Division) was very close to the Rural Communities at the Village level, as were the Kiaps and later the Teachers posted to Villages like Pindiu that we helped put on the Economic development map.
The steady collapse of the infrastructure in terms of Law and Order, Health, and now commerce is a harvest we had no part of, and because we predicted the problem and its attendant lack of security, we take no comfort in the fulfillment of our prophecy.
Often, as has been the case on this blog we have been criticised for stating things as they are, it has to be realised that having been through the mill of uncertainty of the family's future we dont have the benefit of Rose coloured glasses. Those of us who maintained a contact with PNG through commercial links are more qualified to comment on the state of the Nation than those who had a brief flirtation with a narrow band of the indigenous population.
I join you in your distress Colin, and suggest that there is worse to come.

[Colin Huggins]

This comment on the blog is very distressing. Is it another Fiji problem? Why can't people interact? Why respond to this violence?

It seems to me why with thousands involved, as reported, the local police and authorities were caught unawares. Were they all asleep? You don't gather 100's, forget about thousands, without someone in authority knowing.

Will the military step in? God help us. It is a sad day for PNG and its people.

Governments that stay virtually the same - in power and then in opposition with the same persons in control - seem to me to lose the plot.

Somare and others have a lot of explaining to do to their people. That will be interesting to read. The knighthooding of PNG and the honours (so called) could be the problem. This borders on the ridiculous for the locals in villages and towns.

I am absolutely distressed with this report - which was not reported in the Australian media. Why? Who cares here in Australia except the persons who worked their bums off before the Independence and then cop this for what we had achieved.

I really feel so sorry for the Kiaps who did so much in development of the areas they were involved in. Seems with this report - all gone up in smoke! Well done fellows but it looks from this a lost cause!