The Political Response - PM.

"By FREDDY GIGMAI. PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare went on air yesterday to tell the country that he was ashamed to see people showing bush knives in public places. He was referring to the front page photograph in The National yesterday showing a group of people from Enga brandishing bush knives, sticks and pieces of wood marching along the street in Lae on Tuesday. These Engans were on their way to a peace meeting with Western Highlanders after an Engan, who refused to pay his 50 toea bus fare, was killed allegedly by the PMV driver and his crew last Saturday. Their actions brought Lae city to a standstill on Tuesday as many shops, schools and offices closed their doors. PMV operators also pulled their buses off the roads.Sir Michael also warned students at the University of Technology, and other universities in PNG, that laws will be enacted to ensure students who bring bush knives and any form of weapons onto the school grounds are terminated. The Prime Minister’s warning comes after Unitech students went on a rampage last Saturday and destroyed a residential property, leaving four families homeless, and the 140 Club at Tent City to avenge the death of a student from Mul Baiyer in Western Highlands province. Earlier police reports said the student was shot dead during a brawl some metres from the club after a fundraising dance. The suspect in the shooting incident, and those involved in the brawl, has surrendered to the authorities. “We will terminate students who bring weapons such as bush knives into the university; they should go and stay in the bush if they don’t want an education. “We will introduce tougher penalties to discipline university students,” Sir Michael told NBC radio. He said the ethnic clashes in Port Moresby and, now, Lae have portrayed a very bad image of PNG. “ We must change, look after our country and show that we are proud of our country,” the Prime Minister said. “Others around the world would see and read about this problem and think that PNG is still 300 years behind the rest.”He said there was no need to link one single incident to everyone. “This mentality of the fifties and sixties must stop. ”He particularly called on Highlanders, especially their political leaders and parliamentarians, to take a good look at the problem and treat it once and for all. “If the Sepiks do such things, I will discipline them,” Sir Michael said."
Source: Post Courier, 5th Oct.