Service held to honour those who died in B’ville crisis

THE PNG Correctional Services, held its 19th CS Remembrance Day on Friday at the Bomana Correctional Institution (MSU).
The CS Remembrance Day is held on Jan 17 every year to remember CS officers who lost their lives during the attack of the Kuveria jail by the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) in 1990 in Bougainville, at the height of the Bougainville crisis.
At the time of the attack, the CS officers (both male and female) stationed at the Kuveria provincial jail, were attacked at about 11.45pm by the BRA.
The Kuveria jail was destroyed, CS officers (including their families) were attacked and some sustained injuries while others tragically lost their lives in the attack.
Those who survived, still bear the scars of the incident to this very day.
CS assistant commissioner to Southern Region Felix Namane, while sharing his experience, also expressed his thoughts on how the CS officers during that time struggled to fight.
“The experience during that time was very life-threatening and emotional for us,” he said.
“Also, during that time, we were not yet trained to fight.
“It took us some time to recover but we still remember what had happened during the attack.”
The dawn service was held to commemorate those who fought bravely and lost their lives in the process of serving the country, and also celebrate the lives of those who survived through this near-death experiences.
CS commissioner Stephen Pokanis acknowledged those who served during the crisis.