Parkop urges calm at Unitech

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says the University of Technology (Unitech) situation is getting out of hand.
He wants the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to take immediate and decisive action to arrest the situation.
“I also call upon the prime minister to make some decisions to reduce the stress in the nation,” Parkop said in a statement last night.
“I call on the students to think beyond today and beyond just themselves.
“Take a step back because tomorrow you will be able to take five steps forward. Think about the future generation who are also entitled to study at the University in the facilities you are destroying. It equally belongs to them,” he said.
“It’s easy to destroy but harder to rebuild. The same goes to the students, destroying your future without regard of what you can influence later on in your life.
“I urge all the people behind this action to reconsider their strategy. It’s not working and it will not work.
“The end does not justify the means. How you go about doing something is as important as what you end up doing. If you use illegal means to accomplish a legal and even desirable result, the good result does not make the bad means you used justifiable.
“So burning public properties, murder, harassment and torture, now a possible retaliation, disruption of classes and damaging a possible bright future do not justify the outcomes that the students are seeking.” Parkop appealed to the family of the murdered Southern Highlands’ student not take the law into their own hands.
“It will only exacerbate the situation. Let the police deal with the matter.
“Violence of any form does not solve disputes of any form,” he said.
“In the capital city, at University of Papua New Guinea, we have managed to contain the situation.
“The public can be assured that we will not tolerate such barbaric acts in NCD.
“I urge all MPs mandated by their people to take action immediately so normalcy can return.
“I urge the public to remain strong and continue to be positive. We will stand together to see our nation through these dark moments.”