ASIATODAY.ID, PORT MORESBY – Riots erupted in the city of Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Eight people were reported killed in the riots.
Shops and cars were torched and supermarkets looted as hundreds took to the streets after police went on strike over a pay dispute.
National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop said in a radio broadcast that the looting was carried out by “opportunists”.
Seven other people died in the city of Lae. The extent of the violence in Lae, Papua New Guinea’s second largest city, remains unclear.
“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,” Parkop said in a radio address, Reuters reported.
He added that several people sadly lost their lives today although he did not provide a death toll.
The riots were triggered after police and other civil servants staged a strike outside parliament on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, after learning that their salaries had been reduced by 50%.
Prime Minister (PM) James Marape said up to about $100 had been deducted from civil servants’ salaries due to a computer error, and the government had not raised taxes as claimed by protesters.
“Social media is picking up on misinformation, misinformation,” said Marape, quoted by the New York Times, adding that people were taking advantage of the absence of police on the streets.
TV footage showed large crowds and looting throughout the city. A large shopping center was among the burned buildings.
Ambulance workers said they had treated several gunshot wounds, while the United States embassy reported gunfire near the embassy compound.
By Wednesday evening, the violence had largely stopped as initial reports of the number of deaths filtered in. Port Moresby has a population of around 400,000 people.
On Thursday, 11 January 2024, Australia, PNG’s neighbor and main security partner, urged calm in the country.
Marape, who met with the Australian leader last month, has not requested peacekeeping assistance from that country.
Amid an economic downturn in his country that has led to higher levels of inflation and unemployment, the prime minister is facing increasing pressure. The opposition has attempted to move a no-confidence motion against him.
Analysts said unhappiness among the public had led to Wednesday’s riots.
“The events that occurred today in Port Moresby embody and reveal the social and economic pain and suffering experienced by the police, military and other civil servants in PNG, as well as all workers and the general public,” Think Tank PNG analyst Samson Komati told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. (ATN)
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