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Near miss for Hagen as youths go on a rampage
By ANDREW ALPHONSE
QUICK police intervention prevented rampaging youths from turning Mt
Hagen city into a chaotic situation yesterday morning.
The unemployed youths, who called themselves Volunteer Crime Stoppers
and City Youth Volunteers (known commonly in Tok Pisin as Strit mangis)
shocked city authorities and local police when they staged an unplanned
protest march to the city authority office early yesterday morning.
Their spokesmen Kenny Asane and John Lawi said the youths wanted an
explanation from the city authorities how K40,000 meant for them was
distributed and paid.
The money was allocated for their work in beautifying the city by local
MP and Environment and Conservation Minister William Duma two weeks ago.
The two youth leaders claimed that several youth volunteered who had
been helping to clean and beautify the city since 2004, were not paid.
They claimed that their frustrations was further fuelled, when city
authorities in a circular dated Feb 1, banned the youths from selling
betelnuts and cigarettes at designated places around the city.
Mt Hagen city police chief Supt Theodore Muriki and police station
commander Snr Insp Peter Roape, together with local policemen blocked
the street off with their vehicles and ordered the youths off the main
streets.
They calmly brought the situation under control and later took the youth
leaders and city authority officials for a round-table discussion at the
police station.
The youths numbering more than 100 and armed with missiles such as
sticks and stones had earlier stormed the city authority office. They
threw stones at the office, destroying several windows while three
vehicles parked in the yard also had their windscreens smashed in the
confusion.
 
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