Ferry impasse continues in Bialla

A GROUP of people have told police they will not release a passenger ferry they took by force this week until its owner makes them a satisfactory offer.
The locals from Bialla in West New Britain forcefully took over the Rabaul Shipping’s passenger ferry mv Kula Queen, in retaliation to the loss of lives when its sister ship mv Rabaul Queen sank a month ago today. Most of them are relatives of those who died.
They want to talk to the ships’ owner Peter Sharp. It is understood that the shipping company’s officials are to meet with families and relatives of those who died and the 180 still missing.
The relatives of the missing people and survivors had travelled to Kimbe expecting to meet Sharp.
New Guinea Islands divisional police commander Supt Anton Billie said Bialla wharf was full of people and they had stepped up security on the vessel.
Billie, supported by police from Bialla, Kimbe and East New Britain, met with the people holding the Kula Queen yesterday.
Billie said he had told them that it was illegal to keep the vessel and demand compensation. It was tantamount to extortion and piracy.
He urged them to understand the law and release the ship as there were other avenues to pursue their demands.
But they would not release the vessel until they met with Sharp.
Billie said police refrained from making arrests because of the sensitive situation.
The captain and crew members of the mv Kula Queen are with their colleagues at the Bialla agency.
Numerous attempts by The National to contact Rabaul Shipping by telephone or e-mail since last week had been unsuccessful.
Since the sinking of the Rabaul Queen on Feb 2, the shipping company has lost five ships from its fleet.
Kula Queen is stuck in Bialla, while three other vessels – Solomon Queen, Kopra and Kopra IV – are locked at Buka’s wharfs by frustrated family and relatives of victims of the Rabaul Queen sinking.
The fifth vessel, Kimbe Queen, is out of commission for at least another week undergoing inspection in Rabaul after hitting a reef in Bialla waters last week.