Morobe’s image tarnished

THE recent Morobe show in Lae was hailed as a success by the organisers.
I was at Nabzab Airport last Friday night and saw the many tourists who came to attend the show.
I was also at the showground on both days of the event only to witness violence disrupting the event.
I witnessed a police officer with a gun crawling under a stall to escape being pelted by stones.
Although he managed to fire two warning shots into the air, stones were thrown at his direction, forcing the people who paid to enter to take cover.
The show is a good way to promote tourism and it attracts thousands of people every year but criminal activities and poor behaviour of certain people at the showground have taken the shine off what could have been a grand affair.
During the live band performance, sticks, stones and empty containers filled with betelnut spittle were hurled at the crowd, causing people to scatter in all directions and creating chaos.
Pickpockets were everywhere, grabbing whatever they could.
Is this how we paint a picture of our country to tourists?
It is a shame to see people acting this way after 35 years of independence.
While the police did a good job to maintain order, their biggest setback was manpower.
While they were in one area, trouble was happening in another.
I appeal to the relevant authorities to look into the matter and address the issues seriously because the Morobe Show is a time where we can enjoy and walk around without having to look behind us all the time.

Danks
Madang