PNG sending troops to stop violence in Hela

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The Papua New Guinea Government has announced it will deploy the military to stop violence near the country’s biggest resources project.

The PNG Defence Force will be deployed to Hela Province in the highlands where dozens of people have died in tribal conflict recently.

Landowners in the province were also threatening to attack Exxon-Mobil’s PNG LNG project over ongoing complaints about royalties and equity in the project.

PNG’s Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill, said the military would work with police to conduct security operations in the province.

“These problems have the potential to impact on the upcoming election as well as the operation of important projects in the area,” he said.

“Police will have full powers to ensure law and order and to deal with people who seek to cause trouble.

“This includes the immediate arrest of people seeking to initiate violent acts or make threats against Government officials or projects in the province.”

O’Neill said the military call-out would last six months, taking it past PNG’s national elections next year.

He said the Government would ask Exxon-Mobil and Oil Search – the two main companies involved in the PNG LNG project – for logistical support to help the security operation.

Tribal violence is often a problem in PNG’s highlands but it has escalated dramatically in Hela over the past year.

Last month, two men were shot dead when the provincial governor’s convoy was stopped by armed men.

Police responded by burning houses and gardens in an attempt to flush out those responsible.

The National Executive Council approved the Defence Force and Police call out that will cost taxpayers 11 million kina to quell the tribal fighting.

Finance Minister James Marape, whose Tari-Pori electorate is affected, had earlier pushed for the full powers of a state of emergency but was that not possible due to time required for parliamentary approval as well as legal implications.

Marape said he was happy that the call out would enable additional military and police personnel in Hela to arrest those who felt their guns allowed then to break laws and get away with murder.

“From December 17 to February 28 we will have a guns surrender moratorium and after that –based on intelligence – we will go in after those who have guns.

“The so-called gun-toting cowboys of Hela, your days are numbered. We will come after you and I personally will be right behind police and army in this exercise. Return those guns if you want to evade the fury of government.”

“My appeal to all Hela including the elites and leaders of our community is to rally behind this effort to minimise lawlessness caused by guns in our society.

“This appeal also goes to my two colleague MPs for Komo-Margarima and Koroba-Kopiago to leave their quest for provincial power which had added fuel to a high tension province. Go back to your respective electorates as I will do to my electorates and let’s restore law and order.” - PNC sources Potential cyclone builds off Fiji

FIJI – The tropical depression several hundred kilometres northwest of Nadi in Fiji has caused major flooding in parts of the country.

The system was expected to possibly intensify into a category one cyclone late yesterday.

At least ten families were evacuated in Navosai overnight after flood waters entered their homes.

A main highway in the capital Suva has been blocked by a landslide, and some powerlines have fallen due to strong winds.

Fiji’s power authority says technicians are looking into the issue and there is no time frame on when power will be restored in the affected areas.

The director of the Meteorology Service Ravin Kumar says TD04F will maintain its intensity as it moves southwest.

He adds that the centre of the depression is suspected to remain to the west of Fiji and not cross the group.

However, a heavy rain warning remains in force for the whole of the Fiji group and this is coupled with a flood alert for low lying areas and flood prone areas.

Kumar said rain and isolated thunderstorms were expected to become frequent over most parts of the country “A trough of low pressure and active rain bands will continue to affect the country through the weekend, so be prepared for more rain,” Kumar said.

The depression comes as Fiji is still recovering from Cyclone Winston last February, with some communities still living in tents.

- PNC sources