Papua New Guineans too violent

IT seems that communities in Papua New Guinea, in general, have a darker side that is often far removed from the peaceful, sociable and hardworking people we are made to be.
Far too often, there are violent undertones that belie our passive, even shy natures.
A tragic incident over the weekend has served to expose, once again, a problem our society has failed to address. In the larger picture, it is symptomatic of the larger security and law and order issue that has so far spiralled out of our government’s ability to manage.
A vehicle hits and kills a pedestrian in a suburb of the biggest city in the country early last Saturday evening. The driver and occupants, members of a local soccer club, have reportedly been drinking and are, therefore, most likely the offending party. The victim is an elderly woman.
What happens next is an all-too-familiar scenario.
Aggrieved bystanders take the law into their own hands and mete out justice PNG style which comes by the name “payback”. The occupants are dragged out of the vehicle and beaten by a mob wielding rocks, metal bars, screw drivers and all manner of makeshift weapons. The end result is that there is more than one fatality.
One can understand the raw emotions that tend to flow during a stressful and shocking incident such as a traffic collision that involves a person being hit by a car. But this type of reaction is really becoming the standard.
The other occupants are now currently fighting for their lives at the Port Moresby General Hospital. What should have been a tragedy involving the loss of one life could well now end in a multiple loss of lives.
How many times have situations of this sort played out over the years and how many times has the end result been a violent one?
The mob mentality is rife on the streets and in the villages of Papua New Guinea. There is no respect for the law and the legal process when a wrong is committed, especially one in this context. Ultimately, the “eye for an eye” belief has a place high on the moral compass of the average Papua New Guinean. This tendency has gone unchecked over the years because of a weak policing system and the failure of community leaders and state bodies to educate and inculcate into society that it is wrong to take a life or injure someone in retaliation over another wrong.
The axiom, “two wrongs do not make a right”, could not be truer here.
What can the state, communities and individuals do to avoid this unnecessary cost in lives?
Firstly, we believe that people will only take the law into their own hands, habitually, when they know that the response from the police force is, at most times, late and inadequate. Worryingly, this country has one of the lowest police officer to population ratios in the region. From an estimated population of more than seven million people, the Royal PNG Constabulary can only boast 4,000 personnel.
That would work out to one police officer for every 1,750 citizens.
Outnumbered is putting it mildly.
Is it any wonder then that law and order is such a problem?
Police presence on the ground needs to be increased is stating the obvious.
Adding to that, their logistical capability must be second to none – lives depend on a swift response. The law must also come down hard on drunk drivers.
Secondly, there must be a national plan or, at least, a strategy by the police force and other relevant state bodies such as Health Department, Community Development and Social Welfare, urbanisation office and municipal authorities to get the message across to the people.
We live in society where killing people out of anger, shock or whatever emotion gets the better of them is simply not right. It exacerbates the problem and more people end up suffering as a result.
We hope and pray that the young men in critical condition pull through and recover as best as they can after the horrific injuries sustained.
We also extend our condolences to the family of the woman who was killed.
Several families are affected by this tragedy.
We hope that people can learn to live safely and in peace in their communities and let the law takes it course. Violence is never a remedy to our problems.