Govt advised to listean to youths

National, Normal
Source:

The National,Tuesday 08th November 2011

THE Youth Workers Association has called on the government to address youth issues in major towns and cities.
Association general secretary Joe Mesa made the call yesterday following violent clashes in Lae over the weekend and an increase in criminal activities there. 
Mesa said youths were vulnerable people who could take matters into their own hands easily if they were ignored.
“I appeal to the provincial and national government to see the youths as important assets of the country and not as violence-oriented people,” he said.
“I believe authorities should share the blame for what happened because they have been ignorant to the plight of youths for so long,” Mesa said.
He said Papua New Guinea was sitting on a “time bomb” and anything could happen if the government took the issue lightly.
Mesa said using police to kill and injure people “is not the right way to address the problem because it will
only escalate the violence”.