Settlers not given any eviction notice

Letters, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday 26th March 2013

 I REFER to your  report “Bawa says claims not true” (March 15).

It was true the police did not shoot at the people or burn any of the settlement houses near the Arts Centre.

NCD metropolitan commander Supt Andy Bawa claimed the settlers burned their own houses as they did not want to move out.

Bawa told the people 

to move out within 25 minutes before the bulldozer started destroying properties along the road.

The people rushed to take their properties out, but when they ran out of time, they simply burned their houses.

Bawa claimed that an eviction notice was given two weeks earlier but this was also untrue.

We must remember that we are all guided by the law and if an eviction notice or court order were given, we will of course move.

But none was given and it came as a surprise when the police and bulldozer came to the settlement around 6am to execute orders which we were not aware of.

We are not even sure where the orders came from because, as far as we understand, the court order was still pending.

How can we just be forced to move without even a proper alternative location?

We must follow proper steps of eviction but that did not happen.


Nelo Adde

Port Moresby