PNG LAW & ORDER: 18 BRUTALLY KILLED IN PROGERA

 

SOLE SURVIVOR, BUT MOTHER & DAUGHTER DID NOT STAND A CHANCE

Some of the dead were placed at a temporary holding centre. Picture supplied.

One man may have survived the brutal massacre in Porgera, Enga Province.

He is seen lying on the ground with his hand over his chest and his left knee up.

Another man is seen comforting him. He may be the sole survivor of Wednesday's indiscriminate and sudden attack which left 18 people dead.

Thirteen were men and five were women, killed by assailants and left to die where they fell.

But Mr X (not his real name) may have been the lucky one, although the extent of his injuries cannot be verified as fearful relatives don't want to talk or mention the trauma. 

A walk away from Mr X (left), a hapless mother and a daughter lay side by side, their lives snuffed out in an instant.

They were innocent. Their only crime was walking through a public space in Porgera

The incident rocked Paiam township in Porgera to the core and shocked the nation of Papua New Guinea.

Violence through tribal fighting is common in the Papua New Guinea highlands. But cold blooded murder in public is chilling and unfathomable.

Even the hardened local police chief acting Superintendent George Kakas was so shocked by the act of violence that he was left speechless when told by field operatives of the violence, wrote seasoned police reporter Miriam Zarriga for the Post-Courier newspaper.

In his policing career, Mr Kakas has seen worse but yesterday’s act was one he thought was the work of a deranged mob who had no respect for the sanctity of life.

Of the dead, 13 were men and 5 were women who were going about their normal lives when men armed with machetes and axes hacked them to death.

It was an hour of wanton destruction in which anyone in the path of the rampaging tribesmen was not spared, Mr Kakas said.

Pictures of the dead posted online show a trail of destruction with murderous intent. It seemed none of the dead had any chance of escaping.

In one picture,  a woman clad in a PNG meri blouse lies next to a young girl, most probably her daughter.

In another, a man and his woman lie side by side (pictured), having fallen where they were attacked.

The woman is on her knees, cowering in a fetal position, most probably having begged for mercy, a futile attempt to evade the inevitable from blood thirsty tribal rivals.

Men counting the cost, and examining the scene, looking for a relative, are shown carrying bush knives and axes. In the restive Enga, this is normal weaponry.

The lucky man Mr X lies on his back. His faculties seem intact from the way he is laid out and the pose of the man attending to him.

Porgera is the site of the giant gold mine which has been closed for almost two years.

A violent tribal fight between the Aiyala and Nomali tribes has been raging, which has severely affected the National General Elections in that part of the region.

The 18 deaths brings to 70 the number of people killed in Porgera in the past four months.

Security forces made up of local police, Mobile Task Force units, and a platoon of the PNG Army, are outgunned and outnumbered by the tribal warriors, who are reportedly heavily armed.

PNG police commissioner David Manning has since ordered his men to bring the situation in Paiam, Porgera, Sirunki and Laiagam under control.

The PNG Defence Force has 120 soldiers in Enga's provincial capital Wabag.

PNG Police Commissioner David Manning. 

Of  the 18, five people were killed in Upper Porgera Station and  13 perished at Paiam.

“Three men from Porgera town area were killed by Kandeps. This killing is related to the ongoing tribal fight at Paiam that has now escalated to Porgera Town," said Mr Kakas.

Mr Manning said: "The army has moves into Wabag and once all logistics arrangements are in place will further deploy to the electorates of Porgera, Laiagam, and Kompiam and join their police Mobile squad counterparts who are currently on the ground. 

"The Task Force has 60 days to bring the electorates back under the Rule of Law, secure the mine, and provide protection for repairs to be done on wilfully damaged bridges, especially on the Wabag Kompiam road.

"We have received reports of continuous killings in Porgera that commenced on the weekend. 

"Priority deployment is to the Porgera valley, to quell the fighting between the local Porgerans and Settlers from other parts of Enga Province," Mr Manning said.

He added that he has received urgent pleas to also evacuate non-Engans who currently work up there to be escorted to safety out of the Porgera Valley.

A 3 meter wide 4-5 meter deep trench that was dug across the Surinki stretch of  Wabag- Porgera road is still undergoing repairs, however, a temporary bypass has been constructed to allow traffic to travel to and from Porgera.

Mr Manning said the Task Force will deploy and be tasked in a phase-by-phase approach.

"We should have the full complement of police, army, and correctional services before the weekend."