Family mourns slain dad

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By GIBSON TORASO
A BUSINESSMAN from Kompiam-Ambum in Enga, who lived in Kerema for 17 years, was one of the three men killed in Central on Thursday in retaliation over the death of a Goilala man the day before.
Lewa Pyawale, of Wagin tribe from Winkos village and who has four children, two boys and two girls, was killed in front of his 14-year-old son along with two other men from Eastern Highlands, according to witnesses who escaped the attack.
Kelly Kendan, the driver of K-Town Lewa, a PMV truck owned by the late Pyawale, told The National that the owner was “killed in front of his son” who along with the driver and others escaped the attack.
Kendan said he left Kerema at around 3pm on Wednesday with 15 passengers, including the owner and his son, with some bags of betel nuts.
“At around 10pm, we arrived at Doa police station and joined PMV trucks, buses and other vehicles there,” he said.
“Police told them (us) to stop because there was a roadblock over the killing of a Goilala man by a Toyota Coaster PMV bus that was coming to Port Moresby earlier.”
Kendan said police officers told them that they would clear the road before they could travel and that it was not safe at the station because of police manpower shortage and Goilalas living there.
They told us to return to Agivairu and stay there until morning.
“Around 7.30am on Thursday, we returned to Doa station and police officers informed us that they called in a unit from Port Moresby who would rescue us,” Kendan said.
“At Doa, we were not thinking that there would be an attack because we were with a couple of police officers and we saw them holding a rifle.
“Lewa put K50 and told the others to contribute so we could give it to the funeral of the Goilala man because we will be using this road routinely and had no knowledge of the first incident.
“We contributed K200. And the station was 2-3km away from the first incident at Martens where the roadblock was set up.
“But we never knew that a truck belonging to the rubber company loaded all the Goilala men from Martens, armed with axes, bush knives and other weapons, were dropped somewhere close the station.
“They walked in one by one and mixed into the crowd there and paired all the people of Highlands origin with the ratio of three-to-one but acted normally.
“In a coordinated surprise attack, they started attacking whoever they paired with and many sustained injuries while many ran for their lives in all directions.”

11 comments

  • It is a sad day for everyone. My condolences to the family for the deaths on both side of the famiky.

    Innocent lives were lost.

    Question: “Why is ‘You shall not murder’ in the Ten Commandments?”

    Answer: Simply stated, the sixth of the Ten Commandments forbids the unjustified taking of a human life.

    To God, murder is not just physical in nature but also the condition of one’s heart towards another.

    There are two different Hebrew words (ratsakh, mut) and two Greek words (phoneuo, apokteino) for “murder” and “killing.” One means “to put to death,” and the other means “to murder.” The latter one is the one prohibited by the Ten Commandments, not the former. In fact, ratsakh has a broader definition than the English word “murder.” Ratsakh also covers deaths due to carelessness or neglect but is never used when describing killing during wartime.

    Most countries have consequences for murder. In some cases this requires the life of the perpetrator and a suitable means of putting one to death is chosen and administered (Matthew 5:21; Exodus 21:14).

    And finally, although far from acceptable, manslaughter is yet another form of killing someone. This unintentional act apparently happened so often in biblical times that cities of refuge were designated for the manslayer to seek refuge in (Exodus 21:13; Joshua 20).

    Again, it was never God’s intent to have to use such a drastic measure as taking one’s life to rectify a situation.

    However, premeditated murder of an individual is never God’s will.

    What is murder in God’s eyes? From the human perspective, murder is the physical act of taking another’s life. However, we also must consider that God defines murder as any thought or feeling of deep-seated hatred or malice against another person.

    In other words, it is more than just a physical act that constitutes murder to God, who tells us that “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15 ESV).

    When we harbor hatred in our hearts for another, we have committed the sin of murder in God’s eyes. The disdain towards another person never has to be demonstrated outwardly because God looks upon the heart for the truth (1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 15:19).

    As Christians and as human beings, we know that unjustified killing is wrong. God’s Word is very clear on this point: “You shall not murder.” And what God says we must obey, or we face the consequences on judgment day.

    These culprits who committed these horrendous act should be prosecuted and put behind bars.

  • Its a barbaric manner to murder a bread winner in cold blooded cruel way. It is not good. We must not promote Regionalism in a negative way by murdering someone innocent, just because they from that particular region so they deserve to die?

  • Thank you Umu for your good piece from the bible that is worth reading by all.

    We have a long way to go to get to a level resemblance of a unified people of one country other than the political symbols. But violence in any form should not be tolerated by anyone especially in this day and age particularly such barbaric acts.
    It is not human to feel comfortable killing in this manner, we are not in a war torn society, yes we have difficulties but these are within human reason and strength that warrants no such act over another fellow human. The traditional forms of gathering to kill is no longer applicable to this day and age, because while we live, support and protect our family and kinsman and want no one to kill them it is possible to walk to our perceived enemies look into each other and create understanding to solve our differences rather than resorting to kill each other. We can pick up the phone and talk to each other in a language that we all understand. We can go to courts and sort our differences there is more than enough avenues available to us than it was to the tribes in the past.
    We must start to think beyond the basic animalistic behaviors and start thinking beyond our human state now for what we believe we can be as a better person to be any better than everything we are now.

    If you can read this you have the power to change a mindset so please be that argent of change whatever level it may be tell those one close to you.

    Condolence to the family of all those lives taken away

    God bless our country .

  • Mr Samb you need to deal with your people now. Ol bagarapim name blong central na Papua. No gat het lain, still living in the dark ages. All educated goilalas need to rise up and educate your people to stop this barbaric and inhuman acts.

  • A very sad day indeed. Our prayers and thoughts are with all the families who lost your loved ones through this inhumane and barbaric act. We also pray that the culprits are caught and served the full brunt of the law.

  • All your commends above are based on the Bible and are showing nationalistic sentiments urging common sense in such situations. However, with Giolalas, there are no such things as common sense and sound reasoning. It would be prudent for anyone to discuss such with a Goilala or the Goilalas because they are next to monkeys or Gorillas when it comes to having the brain capacity to reason as a human being. Commending from experience!

  • The Goilala’s knew what they were about to do. Their mental capacity to reason why their tribesman was killed by Central province youths in the first instance did not matter. The main reason for killing the three innocent Highlanders was because in the first incident their tribesman was ambushed and killed in abus owned by another Highlander. They premeditated that the Highlanders were involved and it doesn’t matter which Highlands provinces they come from and the three Highlanders were the unfortunate target. this is the mentality of a Goilala men.

  • So very sad. This is barbaric. My condolences to the families of those who lost there beloved ones. I know it is extremely hard to forget and accept how they died. Words cannot express the family members feelings. It is mixture of anger and grief. We need to put an end to this regionalism or tribalism attitude. THE CURRENT GOVT MUST CONSIDER PASSING A LAW TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM OF REGIONALISM. PEOPLE WHO ORGANISE TO DELIBERATELY ATTACK INOCENT PEOPLE SHOULD BE GIVEN LIFE SENTENCE. EVEN IF THEY DO NOT KILL ANYONE. IF NOTHING IS DONE, WE WILL ALWAYS FEEL INSECURE LIVING OUTSIDE OF OUR SMALL VILLAGES.

  • In the 1960s to the 1980s Goilalas were very notorious group of people in the NCD until Highlanders moved into the city and tamed them. The old feud and rivalry still exists, so my guess is that this problem at Doa will spill into the city, in the next few weeks and months……

  • I find it amusing when highlanders get killed that they cry victim, If they are stupid enough to kill a Goilala then be prepared to pay the piper his toll!
    While ever tribalism remains (and it will for many many years to come) there will always be tribal killings and payback. K200 for a mans life is a joke and the people concerned would want two hundred times that for one of theirs.
    As the saying goes an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth and blood for blood.
    Perhaps in another 150 years or so it may change but not now.

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