Tari tense as hundreds mourn death of councillor shot at market

By MALUM NALU in Tari
Tari came to a standstill yesterday as hundreds family members armed with knives and and other tribal members of a murdered councillor gathered to show their sorrow and frustration.
The councillor, Hebe Yaparia, a well-respected leader from Homo village in Tari, was shot at about 2pm last Friday at point-blank range at Tari Market where people gambled.
The situation remained tense at the weekend, with relief operations affected and Air Niugini suspending all services to Tari.
Relatives and trbesmen and women of the councillor converged in Tari with their faces painted in mud and brandishing bush knives.
They, however, did not cause any trouble as the acting provincial police commander, Martin Lakari, had told them that there would be zero-tolerance on law and order issues in Tari.
The elder brother of the deceased, Jepe Yaparia, said his brother was known as a peacemaker and non-violent person in Tari. The presence of provincial administrator William Bando and Komo-Margarima MP Manasseh Makiba also helped to ease a very tense situation.
Lakari, police officers and Bando and Makiba later accompanied the late councillor’s relatives and tribesmen and women to Tari Hospital to pick up his body and took it for a drive around town before going to his home village.
Lakari told them that the late councillor was a champion of peace in Tari who spoke against violence.
“I want you to give me names of all trouble-makers and we will arrest them and take them to court.”