O’Neill: We will act

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday assured hundreds of people who packed Port Moresby’s Sir John Guise Stadium that their “call to action” petition would be addressed immediately.

Women Arise Movement leader Esther Igo handed to petition to O’Neill before hundreds of women, men and children, diplomats and politicians.

The national haus krai (house of mourning) was a two-day vigil to protest violence against women in PNG.

O’Neill said the government would be introducing tough new laws including the death penalty in this session of Parliament.

“On behalf of the government, I want to express our sympathy to all the victims of this despicable violence that continues throughout our communities in the country,” the prime minister told the crowd that had swelled from 300 or so more than 1,000.

“In our traditional society, we have never had such violence – we had always respected our mothers, our daughters, and our sisters.

“This is totally unacceptable.

“It (violence) brings shame to our country.

“When people do not listen, we must bring in tough measures.

“We have got the numbers to pass laws before us, including the death penalty.”

Igo, in moving scenes, read aloud names of women either killed or raped recently, including Kepari Leniata the Engan woman who was accused of being a witch and burned alive in Mt Hagen.

“We have been beaten, beheaded, beaten to a pulp.

“I stand here shaking, because this is historical for PNG women to come together and talk to you (prime minister) from our heart.

“From the bottom of our hearts, enough is enough.”

Igo told O’Neill that Women Arise Movement was all about mobilising women to protest against violence.

 “It is not an organisation.

“We are calling on all women and men of this country to stand together.

“We talk about economic development, but our social structures are not in order.

“The growth is not worth it.”

The petition noted the senseless crimes committed and left unabated by a weak and inefficient criminal justice system and called for the Government to apologise to victims of crime on behalf of past and present governments; to condemn every act of violence committed across the country since self-government in 1973 and more effective enforcement of law and delivery of justice.