A violent day of riots and looting on Jan. 10 in the capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Port Moresby, and the country’s second-largest city, Lae, has left at least 15 people dead.
The unrest was sparked by local civil servants, including police and military personnel, going on strike over a pay dispute.
They set supermarkets, shops, and cars alight during the turmoil, and a hospital had to be evacuated over concerns a fire was spreading.
This incident follows weeks of tension related to high employment and an increase in the cost of living.
Government officials deducted between US$26 and US$80 from the wages of police and military personnel, leading to the strike.
However, Prime Minister James Marape painted the reduction as a “mistake” manifested by a computer glitch.
The largest newspaper in PNG, the Post-Courier, ran the headline “Darkest Day in Our City” on its front page.
Rioters in Port Moresby are believed to be opportunists from the capital’s outer suburbs, galvanised by the lack of visible authority on the streets. Anecdotal reports suggest the police demonstrating their pay cut were also involved in the unrest.
“Ill-discipline in the police force will not be tolerated, ill-discipline in the defence will not be tolerated, you can have one moment in the sunlight but this moment won’t last forever,” Mr. Marape stated during a press conference on Jan. 11.
Up to 180 additional officers were moved into Port Moresby to quell the violence, and over 1,000 defence personnel were activated.
Mr. Marape said they are ready to “step in wherever necessary” should the violence kick off again.
PNG’s Commissioner of Police, David Manning, called on people to clear the streets and go home, and all international flight departures and arrivals were postponed.
Mr. Manning asserted that security forces would not tolerate troublemakers, and intimated live rounds may be used in the case of members of the public being assaulted or threatened by rioters.
Chief Fire Officer Bill Roo told the ABC firefighters were threatened by some of the looters while attempting to extinguish fires. Paramedic staff reportedly treated several people with gunshot injuries.
The U.S. embassy in Port Moresby reported gunshots in the vicinity, and the Chinese embassy reported injuries to two Chinese nationals. The embassy took to WeChat to condemn and lodge a complaint against the PNG Government, stating, “The Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea has lodged solemn representations with the Papua New Guinea side over the attacks on the Chinese shops.”
In a radio address, District Governor Powes Parkop said “We have seen an unprecedented level of strife in our city, something that has never happened before in the history of our city and our country.”
The unrest has had immediate political repercussions for Mr. Marape who is facing increased pressure to resign over his handling of the uprising.
In a vote of no confidence for Mr. Marape, six MPs, including Sir Puka Temu, David Arore, James Donald, Maso Hewabi, Keith Iduhu, and James Nomane have stepped down from their posts after the violence.
