Guns threat in rural polls

By PETER KORUGL
FIREARMS used by villagers in a remote village in Sialum, Finschhafen district in Morobe in recent days, clearly showed that there were guns in the hands of the rural people in the province.
And police in the province yesterday expressed fear that the guns – most of them high powered – posed a big threat to the orderly conduct of the 2007 national election.
“We hear reports every day from the public about home-made pistols or high powered rifles.
“The villagers at Sialum took a police issue AR15 rifle and it is still in the hands of the people,” a very concerned Chief Inspector Augustine Wampe said.
He said the build-up of arms in Morobe was a serious threat to the elections and everyone should work together to avoid any problems that disrupted the campaigning and polling.
He said the people in the rural areas should understand that they only voted once every five years to find good leaders to lead the country and look after their well-being.
“Our people must understand that and allow the people to exercise their democratic rights to select a leader of their choice.
He said there should be a gun clean-up exercise before the elections where the people should hand in their guns
Meanwhile, Lae police are still waiting for an update of the confrontation between police and a suspected sect in Sialum.
He said one of the problems with the rural areas was the lack of effective communication.
Reports of a gunfight between police and a suspected sect involved in human sacrifices and kidnapping have resulted in casualties but the figures could not be verified.

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