Hela to track down killers of mothers, infants

The National Main Stories

HELA administrator William Bando says they will support the national government track down the killers of 16 women and two infants at Karida village last Monday.
“We have prayed, had mediation and conducted awareness – to no avail to give peace a chance. So it’s up to the national government to deal with the killers. You can do and use whatever means to track down these killers,” Bando said.
He said when the killing at Munima was six, in retaliation 16 women and two infants were chopped up at Karida.
“It was horrific, especially considering that they were innocent, according to reports.
“So the provincial law and order committee through the enabling Act – the intergroup Tribal Fighting Act – declared Tagali and Hayapuga local level governments as fighting zones.”
The committee also visited the area after the last Monday’s massacre and a 20-man security force are now camping at the Munima Community School. Extra manpower has been requested through PNG Defence Force commander and approval has been granted.
“We want to review the security arrangement with ExxonMobil where we want MS 9 (Tari-based mobile squad) and provincial-based police officers to be deployed to the LNG site on rotational basis,” Bando said.
He said they also wanted ExxonMobil and Oil Search Ltd to build police barracks at Komo and Hides through infrastructure tax credit funds.
“We also want them to build a PNG Defence Force Infantry battalion near Tari town, possibly at the new Hawa Prison. If they can build the multi-million kina National Sports Stadium and so a multi-million kina renovation of the Pineapple Building (Sir Manasupe Haus ) in Port Moresby, there is no reason why they can’t build these infrastructures in the Hela province that host their operations.”
Bando said that when briefing Police Minister Bryan Kramer, acting deputy commissioner David Manning, special service division director acting Chief Supt Julius Tasion and Hela Governor Philip Undialu in Tari on Saturday.
Kramer had led a delegation on a fact-finding two-day trip to Karida village on Friday to prepare a report for the government to respond to the massacre.