Parinjo – Victim of an unruly mob

SENIOR Inspector Charles Parinjo is dead because he sought to do a policeman’s work in the middle of the night on his way home to Boikin from Wewak
where he worked as the town police station commander.
Information is sketchy but from what we have been able to piece together, Parinjo confronted a drunken mob obstructing traffic on a section of the west coast highway at Kain­di.
He was set upon when he tried to disperse the crowd and, as he  struggled with the crowd, he was hit by a truck which dragged him  along the road.
By the time somebody realised he was being hit, he had been dragged
a fair distance and died from his injuries.
We cannot determine whether or not he died from being attacked by the crowd or from being knocked down by the
truck.
It is certain though that, without the mob on the road, he would still be alive today.
One more good man lost to a mob of unruly bunch who, we can safely bet, were most probably drunk to their eyeballs.
As a newspaper, we have time and time again raised the manner in which unruly crowds disturb the peace and undermine our security.
Last week, again, the building that houses the offices of the Prime Minister and National Executive Council was set upon by a huge crowd of landowners who wanted to be paid what they believed to be their rightful dues.
It does not matter a wit to the teeming public that there are guidelines to be followed in securing these monies.
The fault lies both ways – with the crowd which demands payment and the politicians who encourage such behaviour by promising that the money will be paid.
There is hardly a leader in today’s parliament or in any provincial assembly or local government council chamber who will walk out there and tell the people that they cannot have the money, that disbursement of funds will only be done in accordance with stipulated terms and conditions for the money’s use.
And so long as the crowd knows that they can pressure politicians to give in to their wishes, unruly mob behaviour will persist and increase until in the end there will be very little that can stand in the way of an insatiable public demanding instant delivery of cash and kind.
It is the kind of behaviour that will turn nasty and dangerous in an instant.
It is beginning and it will continue until somebody puts his or her foot down and says enough is enough.
Mob behaviour is almost always negative.
It takes a mere spark – a word or action – to turn from peaceful assembly to a looting-rampaging-killing-free-for-all spree.
Yes, among the most important tenants of our bill of rights are those rights that guarantee us freedom of speech and freedom to assemble but we must always consider the equally important conditions inherent in the enjoyment of such rights.
The law forbids anyone to enjoy their inalienable rights to the detriment of others’ rights to enjoy the same freedoms.
If an assembly will suddenly turn violent and will pose a danger to the
public, then that assembly must be managed or disbanded.
There has been too many instances of public demonstrations turning violent that it is time for leaders to consider legislation
to govern public gatherings.
Our people are too easily excitable and that can turn terribly bad as it did for a young police officer in Wewak last Saturday on his way home to his family.
There was a time, not too long ago in the history of this nation, when respect for the law was paramount, when the sight of a
police officer brought instant recognition, respect and fear.
That happened when application of the law was strict.
You stole one chicken in Bougainville or in Komo-Margarima, there was a universal penalty for that.
All of that has been derailed in recent times because the politician has decided to take on the role of policeman, of purveyor of goods and services – a jack of all trades, as it were.
And that has brought us to this place where respect for the law seems absent.