Investigate crime in Alotau

AS a concerned citizen of Papua New Guinea, I find it quite disturbing to read about the testimonies of the relatives of the victims who died dung the crossfire between members of the Special Service Division (mobile squad) and criminal Tommy Baker and his gang in Alotau months ago.
According to these witnesses as reported in The National, the deaths of some of the civilians were not due to crossfire at all, but due to police carelessness and frustration; perhaps even machoism as often displayed cops when in possession of rifles and in uniform.
Why on earth, if the witnesses are correct, did police have to fire live ammunition impunitively when the criminals were alleged to have abandoned the compound nearly half an hour prior to the arrival of the cops? Who were the cops shooting at when they allegedly fired into the house occupied by civilians?
Why did they fire at an unarmed elderly woman sitting on the veranda of her house?
Why did not they follow due procedures to confirm the hostility of the residents of the compound?
What were their rules of engagements?
Were basic policing procedures for distinguishing hostiles from non-hostiles employed?
How effective was the chain of command?
Were there any pre-raid briefing conducted before the raid?
These are some questions that not only the grieving relatives of those who died want answered, but all law-abiding citizens of PNG also.
This country like any other country in the 21st Century will never be ruled by gun-wielding thugs who are happy to end lives unnecessarily.
There is no place for madmen in the modern society.
If there is no professionalism in the conduct of government employees, including law enforcers, then the only option for them is to be axed from their public duties. Period.
Besides, such irresponsible and seemingly uncivilised conducts by law enforcers only result in their unpopularity and consequently, drawing distrust from the people. In the long run, cooperation between the public and law enforcers diminishes.
The public cannot just pretend that all is well.
The mourning relatives of those who were killed in Milne Bay deserve a concrete answer of what happened to their loved ones, and if necessary, those who broke the law must be held accountable.
No one is above the law.
I am calling on the Police Minister Bryan Kramer to launch a full-scale investigation into this matter because it is very serious. No stones must be left unturned.

Timothy Nigaul