Start of ethnic cleansing?
The National, Friday, June 10th 2011
THE recent spate of violence along Back Road in Lae is by far the most unethical and discriminatory by Papua New Guineans thus far.
It is a new trend and, sadly, the people are beginning to accept this as a normal solution to ethnic dispute.
It seems the law of the jungle is now mama lo.
The people who took part in the attacks against Western Highlanders should hang their heads in shame.
I am a Morobean but I do not support such wanton destruction of property belonging to the Hageners.
I see no reason why violence should be inflicted upon innocent hard working and hard saving people over a death that could have been left to the law enforcement agency to handle.
I feel for the owners of the high covenant houses, trade stores and buses that have been reduced to ashes.
Like everyone else, the owners of these properties had probably toiled for years through hard work and sleepless nights saving every toea to enable them to buy and own these properties, only to lose them through mindless and criminal destruction.
The government must seriously enforce the laws or enact one, if none exists, to criminally prosecute people who destroy properties.
They must be held responsible for their actions and no governor or provincial government should support the actions of these criminals.
Acceptance of responsibility will only send wrong signals throughout the country and, sooner or later, it will be provincial governments tearing at each others throat, and giving an excuse for civil uprising.
Rural forester
Lae