Police could have prevented fight

THE fight between the Patep and Parakris villagers is the result of the former who mobilised with the Watuts to remove the Sepiks from Bulolo recently.
After displacing the Sepiks, they started to become more violent and aggressive at the Zenag farm market.
This market is used by the neighbouring villagers of Zenag, Parakris, Mumeng and the Pateps who live in nearby mountains.
Although the police in Mumeng (now Zenag) are aware of this, they did nothing about it.
The Parakris were only defending their women folks selling their produce at the market.
This was how the fight started which eventually led to the death of two Parakris and a Patep.
Emboldened by the success of removing the Sepiks, the Pateps decided to raid the Parakris village.
This planned attack was reported to the police at Zenag but they could not do much except to warn the Parakris: “Ol Patep bai kam na yupela yet bai defendim ples bilong yupela (The Pateps are coming and you will have to defend your village).”
The end result was terrible. All the houses in the Parakris village were razed.
My question is why didn’t the Zenag police station commander try to initiate a dialogue with both villagers through their councillors and leaders or step in earlier before the situation got worse?
Although two police trooper cars were there that fateful Monday morning, the policemen were mere spectators.
They watched as all the houses in Parakris village were razed.
The member for Bulolo had said in The National (Nov 23) that no one was to blame.
I do not agree.
The police should bear full responsibility.
They should go after the Pateps, arrest the ring leaders and confiscated the high-powered weapons.

Victim
Port Moresby