Papua New Guinea Declares State Of Emergency After At Least 16 People Are Killed In Violent Riots

 

ABC News Australia: Violent riots in PNG leave 16 people dead, as PM declares state of emergency for 14 days  

Prime Minister James Marape has declared a state of emergency in Papua New Guinea after 16 people died in violent riots sparked by a police strike on Wednesday. 

The prime minister announced the measure would last for 14 days, with 1,000 defence personnel on standby to react to any escalation in violence. 

Nine people have died in the country's capital of Port Moresby while a further seven were killed in Lae, PNG's second largest city, according to an update from Lae Metro Command on Thursday.  

Read more .... 

Papua New Guinea Declares State Of Emergency After At Least 16 People Are Killed In Violent Riots  

Riots in Papua New Guinea’s 2 biggest cities reportedly leave 15 dead -- AP  

Papua New Guinea: PM declares state of emergency in capital -- DW  

Papua New Guinea: At least 15 dead after major rioting and looting -- BBC  

Papua New Guinea rocked by violence as pay error prompts police walkout, riots and looting -- CNN  

Papua New Guinea declares state of emergency after at least 15 people are killed in horror wave of riots as shops and buildings are set ablaze -- Daily Mail  

Papua New Guinea declares state of emergency as police strike prompts riots -- UPI  

What is happening in PNG? The violent rioting over a pay 'glitch' explained -- ABC News Australia

US And Papua New Guinea Sign Security Pact

 

The Guardian: US and Papua New Guinea sign pact amid Pacific militarisation concerns  

Concerns security deal could leave Papua New Guinea stuck between increasingly hostile US and China 

Papua New Guinea has signed a defence and maritime cooperation agreement with the US during the US Pacific Islands Forum in Port Moresby. 

The agreement was signed by defence minister Win Bakri Daki and US secretary of state Antony Blinken, who flew into the country early on Monday, in the place of US president Joe Biden. 

Before signing the agreements, prime minister James Marape defended himself against claims it could encroach on the country’s sovereignty after a leaked draft document suggesting it gives US personnel and contractors legal immunity; allows aircraft, vehicles and vessels operated by or on behalf of the US to move freely within its territory and territorial waters; and exempts US staff from all migration requirements.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Papua New Guinea's PM says the country will not be used as a base to wage war .... Papua New Guinea won’t be base ‘for war to be launched’, says PM, after US security deal (Reuters). 

The details have also  not been made public .... United States and Papua New Guinea strengthen defence ties with new security agreement, details still to be made public (ABC News Australia). 

US And Papua New Guinea Sign Security Pact  

U.S. and Papua New Guinea sign security agreement despite setbacks -- Washington Post  

US signs new security pact with Papua New Guinea amid competition with China -- AP 

Biden's Papua New Guinea no-show takes shine off US pact -- BBC  

US signs defense pact with Papua New Guinea -- DW 

US signs security pact with Papua New Guinea to counter China’s Pacific influence -- The Hill  

Papua New Guinea, US sign defence and maritime pact -- Al Jazeera

Papua New Guinea Has Become The Next Country to Fall Into China's Debt Trap

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape met with China's ambassador to PNG Xue Bing in Port Moresby yesterday. (Image: Supplied)

ABC News Online: Papua New Guinea asks China for help with $11.8b national debt

In a move experts say could give Beijing even greater influence over Australia's nearest neighbour, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape has reached out to China to help refinance its 27 billion kina ($11.8 billion) national debt.

Mr Marape made the request yesterday in a meeting with China's ambassador to PNG Xue Bing in Port Moresby, according to a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon by his office.

But this afternoon, the Prime Minister appeared to backtrack on the Government's earlier claims and said the statement was issued to media without his knowledge.

Mr Marape maintained that PNG is seeking assistance with its debt levels from China among a string of other partners such as the World Bank and "some other possible non-traditional partners".

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. That Chinese debt assistance is going to have a lot of strings attached.

Papua New Guinea Rocked By Tribal Massacre

ABC News Online: Papua New Guinea buries massacre victims as officials fear tribal 'viciousness is getting worse'

Communities have taken matters into their own hands in the "absence of law and order policing", Papua New Guinea's Police Minister says, following the burial of the victims of a brutal tribal massacre in the country's Highlands this week.

Earlier this week, at least 18 people — mostly women and young children — were slaughtered in the Highlands' Hela province, including unborn babies of two women who were believed to have been pregnant.

"People need to realise that as our institutions are collapsing, the viciousness on a community level is getting worse," Police Minister Bryan Kramer said today.

Read more ....

Update #1: 23 Dead in Papua New Guinea Tribal Massacres (VOA)
Update #2: UN condemns PNG massacre, calls for protection of human rights (SBS)

WNU Editor: These tribal conflicts have been brewing for a long time in Papua New guinea.

Indonesia Claims That Papua New Guinea Separatists Have Executed 32 Workers

Indonesia's Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono shows a Papua map during a news conference after at least 24 construction workers building a bridge at a remote district in Papua province were killed by a suspected separatist group, in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 4, 2018. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

ABC News Online: Separatist gunmen kill 31 workers in restive Papua region, Indonesian authorities say

Indonesian authorities say independence supporters in the restive province of Papua have slaughtered up to 31 people who were working at a state-owned construction company.

Papua police spokesman Suryadi Diaz said 24 workers were killed when gunmen stormed a government bridge construction project in a remote mountainous village in Nduga district.

Eight other workers fled to the nearby house of a local Parliament member, but an armed group came a day later and killed seven of them, Mr Diaz said, citing reports from several witnesses. One managed to escape and remains missing.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Indonesia has already issues an ultimatum .... ‘They surrender or we finish them off’: Indonesia issues ultimatum to separatists who killed 31 workers in restive Papua (SCMP/AP). The background to this conflict can be read from here .... Hundreds of People Have Been Arrested Just for Raising a Flag. Here's Why (Newsweek), and what may be the future .... Bougainville’s tinderbox threatens to reignite (Asia Times).

More News On Reports That Papua New Guinea Separatists Have Executed 32 Workers

Indonesian police say 32 dead, 1 missing in Papua attacks -- National Post/AP
Separatists suspected of killing 31 workers in Indonesia's Papua province -- Nikkei Asian Review
Indonesian police say 31 dead in Papua province separatist attack -- SBS
Indonesia attempts to recover bodies of 31 construction workers executed by separatist rebels in remote region of Papua -- SCMP/AFP
Indonesia says Papua separatists suspected of killing at least 24 workers -- Reuters
Indonesia probing reports dozens of workers shot dead in Papua -- Channel News Asia/AFP

U.S., Australia To Develop Pacific Naval Base In Papua New Guinea To Check China

BBC: US to join Australia in Papua New Guinea naval base plan

The US says it will join Australia in developing a naval base in Papua New Guinea (PNG), in an apparent move to curb China's growing influence.

Vice-President Mike Pence said the three countries would work together on the facility on Manus Island.

Australia announced last month that it would work with PNG to develop the island's Lombrum Naval Base.

Mr Pence made the announcement on the sidelines of the Apec summit in the PNG capital, Port Moresby.

"The United States will partner with Papua New Guinea and Australia on their joint initiative at Lombrum Naval Base," he said.

Read more ....

More News On U.S., Australia And Papua New Guinea Agreeing To Develop A Pacific Naval Base

US to partner with Australia, Papua New Guinea on Manus Island naval base -- ABC News Online
U.S. joins Australian plan to develop new Pacific naval base -- Reuters
America to partner with Australia to develop naval base on Manus Island -- The Guardian
U.S., Australia to Develop Pacific Naval Base in Check on China -- Bloomberg
US to Expand Pacific Base in Bid to Stop China’s Growing Influence -- Military.com/Qatar Tribune
US to expand Pacific military base together with Australia in bid to stop China’s growing influence -- RT
Pence Unveils Plan For US-Australian Pacific Base, Spiking Tensions With China -- Zero Hedge
Joint US-Australian naval base on Manus Island a 'significant pushback' against China's Pacific ambitions -- ABC News Online

Papua New Guinea Government Prefers To Buy 40 Maserati Cars While A New Polio Outbreak Is Happening

Photo: AirBridgeCargo Airlines have operated two consecutive charters with 40 brand new Maserati Quattroporte on board. (AirBridgeCargo Airlines)

ABC News Online: PNG government splurges on 40 Maseratis for APEC leaders as polio returns to the country

The Papua New Guinea government has sparked outrage after purchasing 40 custom-made Maserati cars — specially flown in from Italy — to be used by some of the world's top leaders during this year's APEC summit.

It has been revealed the PNG government plans to use the luxury cars for just one week of the APEC meeting, and then sell them off to recover the costs.

The Maserati Quattroporte sedans, which retail in Australia for between $209,000 and $345,000, were delivered to Port Moresby from Milan earlier this week in two chartered Boeing 747 cargo planes.

PNG's minister for APEC, Justin Tkatchenko, told the ABC that the APEC authority had paid for the fleet, which would be used by world leaders during the leaders' week in November.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It appears that image trumps combating a polio outbreak .... at least in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea Has Declared A Nine-Month State Of Emergency

Protesters in Mendi call for prime minister Peter O’Neill to resign Photograph: Supplied

CNN: Papua New Guinea declares 9-month state of emergency due to riots

(CNN)The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has declared a nine-month state of emergency in the country's rugged Southern Highlands province in response to several days of riots.

The small resource-rich Pacific nation, which is due to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in November, has long struggled with violence and lawlessness.

The latest outbreak of unrest comes amid ongoing reconstruction efforts following a devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck the island's interior in February this year.

Protestors took to the streets in Mendi, the capital of the Southern Highlands province, following a court ruling on Thursday that upheld the election of the regional governor William Powi, amid accusations of vote rigging, according to local media.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: There are now growing fears of a civil war .... 'Pushing for civil war': fears riots could turn into widespread conflict in PNG (Kate Lyons, The Guardian).

More News On Papua New Guinea Declaring A Nine-Month State Of Emergency

State of emergency declared in Papua New Guinea after riots -- The Guardian/Reuters
State of emergency: Rioters torch plane at island airport (PHOTOS) -- RT
State of Emergency Declared in Papua New Guinea -- VOA
Armed protesters block access, burn equipment at PNG's biggest resources project -- ABC News Online
Plane, governor’s house torched in PNG violence -- Punch

Papua New Guinea In Chaos After Police Open Fire On Protesting Students

Reuters: Dozens reported wounded as PNG police fire on protesters, riots spread

Dozens of people were wounded in Papua New Guinea on Wednesday after police opened fire on a student demonstration in the capital and riots erupted across the country, but officials said earlier reports of up to four dead were incorrect.

A groundswell of political unrest has surged in the island nation, just to Australia's north, in recent weeks amid calls for Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to resign over corruption allegations.

Students and officials said police fired on the public and used tear gas to disperse crowds during a protest at the University of PNG's Waigani campus in Port Moresby. Protests were later reported in the PNG Highland cities of Goroka and Mt Hagen, and in Lae on the north coast.

Read more ....

More News On The Growing Unrest In Papua New Guinea

PNG police shoot students during anti-government protest -- ABC News Online
Papua New Guinea in chaos as police open fire on students -- The Australian
Papua New Guinea police fire on student rally, casualties feared -- BBC
23 injured as police and students clash in Papua New Guinea -- AP
Papua New Guinea police open fire on protesting students -- AFP
Police open fire at Papua New Guinea student protest, 23 injured -- UPI
Police fire on student protesters in Papua New Guinea -- CNN
Fatalities reported as Papua New Guinea police open fire on student protest -- DW
Papua New Guinea Protests Turn Violent, Police Open Fire At Students -- IBTimes
Papua New Guinea university gains court order to prevent student protests after shooting -- ABC News Online
Tourists, expats hunker down in PNG amid violence -- Fiscal Times/Reuters

Military Coup Fails In Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Military Coup Fails -- The Guardian

Government troops regain control of army barracks and top military commander is released but peace remains fragile.

A military coup has been averted in Papua New Guinea after government troops regained control of an army barracks, the country's prime minister said.

Analysts warned, however, that peace may not last long, as the failed mutiny risks escalating political tensions in the lead-up to general elections this year.

Read more ....

More News On The Failed Military Coup In Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea PM Says Military Mutiny is Over -- Voice of America
PNG military mutiny is over, says prime minister -- Reuters
Papua New Guinea mutiny ended and 'dealt with' -- The Telegraph
Papua New Guinea soldiers' mutiny stopped - Peter O'Neill -- BBC
Papua New Guinea Premier Rejects Mutineers' Demand -- ABC News/AP
Soldiers oust PNG defence chief amid power struggle -- BBC
Prime minister refuses to step down in Papua New Guinea despite military mutiny -- Washington Post/AP
Rebel soldiers seize military headquarters in Papua New Guinea -- The Telegraph