Punish wrongdoers for change

THE ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ approach will soon become a standard form of compensation in our society.
The principal meaning is that if you believe someone has done something wrong, that person should be punished by having the same thing done to them.
A biblical perspective is fixed in the principle of revenge: punishment is deserved in proportion to the seriousness of an offence.
Our ancestors have taught us to treat others as we would like to be treated, as well as the justice system.
It is unfair to commit a crime without a consequence.
Therefore the phrase an eye for an eye, if you choose to steal something you will be required to deal with the consequence.
It is the only way to teach and learn lessons. Homes in a settlement were burnt and many left homeless in Madang after a policeman was allegedly killed by youths from that settlement inside the Mildas Market.
That act was in revenge by the deceased’s relatives and some policemen who raided the settlement and then burnt down homes leaving more than 100 families homeless.
Security issues at Mildas Market has been a concern for Madang residents.
Many, vendors and buyers, complained of being harassed by youths who were supposed to provide security.
It seems the youths had control over what they did in the pretext of providing security and cleaning up the market.
The market and its surrounding has a long history, and it seems attempts by authorities to improve or address security concerns was not working.
The destruction and burning of the market and houses involving a few ill-disciplined policemen, is uncalled for.
When police minister and Madang MP Byran Kramer arrived at the settlement, he saw a group of men with black painted face, armed with bush knives and iron rods walking along side of the road.
They were in the company of police officers, one armed with an assault rifle, escorting them back to Mildas market.
An officer cocked his gun and pointed it at the head of a by-stander.
The same officer then tuned to Kramer yelling abusive language “we (police) don’t give a shit about police minister” before firing a shot in the air.
The action of this officer totally defeats the oath sworn at by all police officers.
It seems that police abuse will continue to be a serious problem.
It has a long history, and it seems to defy all attempts at eradication.
The problem is national: no police station in the country is known to be completely free of misconduct.
Some officers continue to commit acts of savagery towards innocent people because their superiors cannot control them or simply condone their actions.
These uniformed thugs should be removed from the police force as a matter of urgency.
They are a deadly menace to civil society.
Punishment is a universal phenomenon.
No human society confronted with violations of its laws or customs leaves itself powerless to impose sanctions.
For all this increased experience of dealing with offenders, punishment remains a challenging matter under constant debate.
We have come off the primitive ear and by now should lean towards allowing the law to take its course and let those who wrong feel the full brunt of it.