Families on repatriation

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
ANOTHER repatriation exercise was carried out on Wednesday in Kimbe, West New Britain, as the provincial government began evicting Sepiks.
A total of 200 families, who were plaintiffs in a court case against the provincial government in 2009, were put on a boat in Kimbe.
All were from East Sepik and were repatriated to their home province on Wednesday night.
They’re scheduled to arrive in Wewak today on MV Momase charted by the WNB government.
There were some mixed emotions from the people.
Parents and grandparents were happy to return home but the young people – males and females – wept openly.
They were sad leaving Kimbe as they said they were born and grew up there and regarded it as home.
This second group included many youths.
This brought the total repatriated to 297.
The third repatriation exercise is scheduled for next Monday.
The repatriation was only for the plaintiffs, those who took the WNB government to court.
The court ordered the provincial government to start repatriating them upon consent by both parties.
The National Court in Bialla handed the verdict of eviction on May 19.
Eviction notices were issued to people living on state land in 2009 by the provincial government.
The people countered and started court proceedings against the provincial government.
The first case was in 2009, the second case was heard in 2014 with the final verdict handed down at the Bialla National court on May 19.
Questions were sent to Governor Francis Maneke but it was made known that the provincial government was only implementing what the court ordered.
A total of 97 people were the first group to be repatriated.
They were part of the 225 people on the list residing illegally on state land known as Section 21.
The people are from Morobe, Madang and the Highlands.
The eviction committee had arranged pick up for them on their arrival in Lae to transport them to their respective destinations.
Five trips were confirmed for this month for the plaintiffs living on state land at 21, Batbat and Cherries.
The third trip is organised for today, with arrival scheduled for next Tuesday for people from Kimbe to Lae on MV Momase.
On July 30, the fifth trip will be from Kimbe to Lae on MV Ialibu.