MP: Restrict firearms to police, defence and correctional services

By ELLEN TIAMU
FIREARMS should be restricted to the defence, police and correctional services if law and order problems are to be seriously addressed.
Former defence minister and Kabwum MP Bob Dadae made the comment in Lae yesterday when referring to last week’s unrest in the country’s second largest city.
Dadae is calling on the government to seriously consider the Vagrancy Act, saying it could contain the unnecessary movement of people into major cities and towns.
He commended the Morobe provincial executive committee for appointing a peace and good order committee to look into the Lae fights, saying, “it was pleasing to see all sectors of the community coming together to resolve the issue”.
He blamed underlying issues such as street selling, loitering and pick-poc­keting as catalysts for the recent unrest but said Papua New Guineans should stand united to seek solutions.
He said the problem was not unique to Lae as it was experienced at all major centres but that did not mean people should not break into regional or cultural groups.
He said people should stay united and tackle the issues.
He is calling on the communities in Lae not to provoke each other or incite further trouble and to resolve issues through non-violent means.
“No-one has achieved anything in this fight … we have all been losers,” he said.
Dadae is questioning why other Morobean MPs have not consolidated their support.
“I haven’t seen them since the start of the problem. People elected them for good and bad times and they must step forward and demonstrate leadership,” Dadae said.
He said it was their role as leaders to broker peace and not provoke violence.
Dadae said stronger penalties should be imposed on people found with guns and ammunition as a deterrent.
He will be recommending to the Treasury Minister to allocate more funding for police, defence force and correctional service in next year’s budget.