SYDNEY – Soldiers and police patrolled the quiet streets of Port Moresby on Jan 12 as people joined long lines for fuel a day after Papua New Guinea declared a state of emergency in response to a massive outbreak of rioting and violence.
Prime Minister James Marape declared a 14-day state of emergency late on Jan 11, suspending several officials and putting more than 1,000 soldiers on standby, after a police and public sector protest over pay on Jan 10 descended into rioting and looting that killed at least 20 people.
The city had returned to a “new normal” on the morning of Jan 12, with police and soldiers on the streets and long lines at petrol stations, according to Mr Matt Cannon, who heads the local branch of not-for-profit emergency responder service St John Ambulance.
“We’re expecting the supermarkets that are functioning to reopen today and I’m hearing they have increased security to cater for potentially large numbers of people,” he said.
The unrest was sparked when police and other public servants went on strike on Jan 10 over a pay cut that officials later blamed on an administrative glitch.
Within hours, thousands thronged the streets, looting and rioting against a backdrop of smoke and burning buildings. A mob also tried to break through the gates outside the Prime Minister’s office.
Fifteen people were killed in the rioting in the capital city Port Moresby and five were killed in the city of Lae, in the country’s north, according to Mr Donald Yamasombi, deputy commissioner of specialist operations with the Papua New Guinea police. The death toll was earlier reported as 16.
Mr Yamasombi said 700 police and 120 soldiers patrolled Port Moresby on Jan 12 along with several hundred reservists.
Things were quiet on Jan 12 morning when employee Eddie Allo took the bus to work at the Port Moresby General Hospital. Most vehicles on the roads were government-owned and many people were short of fuel because gas stations had been closed, he said.
“Everything is at a standstill now,” Mr Allo said by phone. “Not many people are on the street and the police and army are patrolling around the areas on foot. No looting is going on.” REUTERS
