Settlers told to shape up or ship out

 By CLEMENT KAUPA

SHAPE up or ship out, a local community near the Highlands Highway outside Lae city in Morobe warned settlers squatting on their land. 

This was prompted by a string of holdups on highway travellers, theft of equipment and material from the local primary school and general unruly behaviour allegedly committed by settlers. 

Claiming to represent the Yalu and Munum villages, former local level government (LLG) president and present Yalu Land Trust Committee chairman Kwalam Tangapi said enough was enough.  

“If the present lawless behaviour continues, both villages with assistance from police, Wampar LLG, the Huon district and the provincial government will burn and demolish all settlements in the area,” he warned.

The warning was also directed at locals who were accommodating settlers on their land.

Tangapi said it was their responsibility as landlords to control whoever they were accommodating.

“If not, you too will answer for it and the law will come down hard on you.”

He said Muya Primary School was broken into several times.

Production, sale and abuse of alcohol and trafficking of marijuana were on the rise since the arrival of settlements in the area, he claimed.