In the last 15 days of the month of July, 15 murders have occurred in the northern Papua New Guinean town of Madang — once described as “beautiful” — and the community now faces a law and order crisis.

Madang Mayor Peter Masia said the Madang district authority could not do much in assisting police to actively carry out law and order action because public funds were still on hold after sitting MP Bryan Kramer had been dismissed as Madang MP.

Calling Madang the “murder capital of PNG”, Masia said there had been an increase in killings with the latest killing occurring yesterday afternoon.

• READ MORE: Other PNG crime reports

Compared to the National Capital District (NCD) — Port Moresby — where killings happen every 2 to 3 days, Madang has seen killings every day for the last 15 days.

An NCD police officer confirmed that every 2 to 3 days they were responding to a report of a killing in Port Moresby.

“Yesterday a young man in his mid 20s from Angoram in East Sepik was stabbed in the chest by a street seller in broad daylight in the heart of [Madang] killing him instantly,” he said.

Madang police desperately need resources to help them tackle Law and Order challenges in the province everyday.

Police need housing, vehicles
A senior policeman who wished not to be named said Madang police needed housing, vehicles and things like office stationery and manpower to boost police work in the province.

There are two police stations in Madang — one is the Jomba police station and the other is the town police station.

The officer said the estimated population ratio for one policeman to the Madang population was 1:1500 to 2000.

He said they needed more police manpower to tackle the law and order problems, especially the killings that were happening every day.

Transgogol people are now calling on the government to establish a police mobile squad base in the area to prevent more brutal murders in their area.

Transgogol community leader and spokesman Morris Bann said there was state-owned land available.

He said the type of killings in the area warranted the government to take serious steps in addressing law and order.

Call for police mobile squad
“We want a police mobile squad base built . . . so that law and order is monitored closely to instill the trust and security the people require from its government,” said Bann.

Madang town resident Breed Kanjikali said the number of deaths required all Madang MPs to step in and address issues affecting the province and map out how they would assist police in combating crimes in the province.

Bundi leader Alois Pandambai said the murder toll in the province was very significant and it portrayed an image where there was dysfunction in the political leadership of the province.

He said Madang province did not seem to be functioning normally in the last seven months because of a political hussle and tussle over the position of the Provincial Administrator Frank Lau.

“While our leaders are fighting over an appointment made by the NEC [National Executive Council], we are not giving 100 percent support to police work and our own people are being killed everyday,” he said.

The 10 Nissan Patrol vehicles bought two years ago to support police work were now experiencing mechanical faults and had been grounded.

Dorothy Mark is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

A massive earthquake has sent shockwave across PNG with at least four dead, properties and key infrastructure destroyed and fears of a mounting death toll.

The 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck at 9:45am yesterday and rocked the newly-built five-star dormitories at the University of Goroka, leaving about 7600 students homeless and forcing PNG Power to shut down the country’s biggest dam at Yonki.

The plant generates and supplies power to Morobe, Madang and the Highlands region. Parts of Highlands Highway in the Markham Valley were cracked open.

• READ MORE: Fears of rising death toll after powerful earthquake rocks eastern Papua New Guinea
• Other earthquake reports in PNG

At the UoG, the students rushed down the stairways and scurried out of the dormitories as a debris of brick blocks, metals and glasses crashed around them. The ceilings and walls cracked open and a section of one of the buildings’ roofs collapsed.

“The earthquake of whatever size it was has hit all our new dormitories to the very core of their foundations,” said a university academic, Dr Maninga.

“We invite the structural engineering professionals to assess the damage before we make any serious decision.

“We will also enquire with the national geohazard centre if we are to expect another earthquake and of what magnitude.

“Also, we look forward to meeting with a team from the DHERST (Department of Higher Education Research Science and Technology) with Minister Don Polye.

Tackling the emergency
“This unfortunate natural disaster has placed us in an emergency situation and we look forward to meeting with them to address this emergency. In the meantime, the students are advised to find shelters where they can.

“Those students from outside the province can use the classrooms for studies and lodging as well.

“The mess will be opened and continue to serve the students.”

The UoG students council representative, Melvin Kink, said the students understood the situation they were in now and would cooperate with the administration to live through it until further advice.

He also told the PNG Post-Courier that their library building was also affected.

PNG Power advised of a total power system outage in Morobe, Madang and the Highlands region following the earthquake.

The power supplier confirmed reports of damages at the Ramu Hydro power station and switch yard and advised that their team would carry out a proper check before they could safely restore power supply to their customers.

First medivac from landslide
The Post-Courier received a report of Manolos Aviation making its first medivac of a couple injured in a landslide as a direct result of the earthquake out of Kabwun district in Morobe Province.

In the Rai Coast, Madang Province, reports were going viral on social media of people and properties buried in landslides.

In Yelia Local Level Government constituency of Obura-Wanenara district in Eastern Highlands Province, Kevin Kojompa, a teacher at the Yelia Primary School, said staff houses were destroyed.

The National Disaster Centre acting director Martin Mose said he had not yet received a full report on the nationwide effects of the earthquake.

Yesterday was a weekend day and the Post-Courier was unable to reach the National Disaster Centre or its provincial branches bout the effects of the earthquake.

Meanwhile, aircraft were using Goroka Airport after the earthquake, which signals that it was not affected.

Republished with permission.

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake has been felt across Papua New Guinea with widespread damage to villages and an unconfirmed number of casualties reported in the Rai Coast district, Madang Province, and Wau, Morobe Province.

News agencies reported at least five dead.

The quake at a depth of 81km struck at 9.46am yesterday and was the result of the interaction between the South Bismarck and India Australia tectonic plates.

• READ MORE: Five killed as powerful earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea

Department of Mineral Policy and Geohazard Management acting assistant director Matthew Mohoi told the PNG Post-Courier that since the earthquake occurred about 65 km west northwest of Lae and the depth was deeper on land, there was no potential for a tsunami.

However, Mohoi said the earthquake was felt very strongly in the Markham Valley region, Lae, and Kainantu in Eastern Highlands Province and was also felt moderately in Port Moresby and the other parts of the country.

He said the earthquake may have caused some damage within the epicentral area of which their office was yet to receive formal reports.

PNG Power Limited chief executive officer Obed Batia confirmed with the newspaper that the Ramu system has been shut down following the earthquake damages to the switchyard.

Ramu power station shut
Batia said the power station had experienced some switch gears damage at North Yonki and it had been shut down for assessment.

“If we see some heavy damage, that might take a while for us to quickly repair and restore and so that’s the situation now,” he said.

“Lae and Madang have diesel gensets so they can be partially supplied, Mt Hagen and Wabag will also be partially supplied, including Kunidawa and Goroka, to service hospitals.”

Batia said he would be informed of the assessment later today before the Ramu Station is back into operations.

Member of Parliament for Rai Coast Kessy Sawang also said that the earthquake had caused big damage to villages in the Finisterre Ranges, where they experienced landslides, and people being buried with houses. Casualties were unconfirmed with one confirmed death.

The local member said she has been in touch with New Tribes Mission and Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) who have assisted villages at Nankina.

She said MAF had airlifted several people to Goroka Hospital with four in a critical condition

The Post-Courier was seeking an update from the National Disaster Office.

Melisha Yafoi is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

The manhunt for the Papua New Guinean cult group along the Rai coast near Madang has been halted because of a lack of logistical support to continue the operation in Nankina Valley.

According to police officers who are part of the operation, they were flown back to Saidor Station where they will stay there and wait for instructions on whether to continue the operation.

Team leader Inspector Steven Yalamu said that so far they had done well, having rescued a family that was held hostage in a cult house in Nankina Valley.

• READ MORE: Other PNG gang hunt reports
• Police rescue family from captivity in PNG

Inspector Yalamu said they had also rescued a man who had his hand chopped off by cult members. He was airlifted to Madang to for further medical assistance.

Police also rescued another man who was on his way to meet the cult group to pay them some money.

The exchange did not take place because the parties heard a helicopter approaching. The man later explained to police what had happened.

Inspector Yalamu wants the operation to continue because the cult group is still active in the area, and it needs to be stopped.

Northern Command Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Peter Guinness stated earlier that the operation would need a helicopter to airlift policemen from one location to another because of the geography around the villages.

He said that if the police officers wanted to move from one village to another it would take them more than five hours on foot. By then the cult group would have moved to another location.

The Northern Mobile Group police officers were flown, free of charge, by Manalos Aviation to Mibu Village to help the Madang-based officer in the manhunt for the cult group.

Madang provincial police commander acting Superintendent Mazuc Rubiang also said that they needed the support to carry on the operation. He said the gang would continue its crimes if police withdrew.

“The villagers were in fear when the police arrived. If police leave, we are expecting something worse to happen because some threats (have) been sent to villagers who were accommodating the police,” Superintendent Rubang said.

“The missionaries were also threatened because they posted on the social media, which prompted police to go there.”

Sylvester Wemuru is a Loop PNG journalist.

A 21-man Papua New Guinean police team deployed to Nankina Valley in Madang’s Rai coast district has requested a helicopter to go after the “Het Wara” gang which has been terrorising villages in the area for more than two years.

Detective Inspector Steve Yalamu, who commands the operation, told the PNG Post-Courier that they had identified three places where the gangs had been operating from.

He said the police team — 11 officers from Madang and 10 from Northern Mobile Group — are based in Mibu, while the gang is many kilometres away.

• READ MORE:  PNG church workers plead for more police help to end gang ‘reign of terror’
• Lack of resources delaying police work in Madang: Rubiang
• Other PNG crime reports

“The group is based at Dike and has support units at Turiknan and Kowan,” Detective Inspector Yalamu said.

He said the gang was continuing to attack villages far from Mibu, where the police are currently based.

“It would take us days to reach them due to the rugged terrain, but by the time we reach the place, they would be long gone,” Yalamu said.

“My men are ready to go in but it would be too risky, plus it would take us days to get there.

‘We need helicopter airlift’
“We need a helicopter to airlift us into these places so we can get them.

“So we are waiting for the helicopter to come so we can infiltrate their base and capture them.”

Detective Inspector Yalamu said the groups were armed and had the advantage of knowing the rugged terrain well so he had requested the helicopter.

“When we first landed in Mibu on Sunday, we were told the gang would attack at night but luckily for them, they had a change of heart and didn’t come as we were ready and waiting,” he said.

“The gang has been running around doing whatever they wanted in the last two years and they’ve become bold but the law will still catch up with them.”

Rebecca Kuku is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Papua New Guinean church workers working behind the scenes to help the terrorised people of the Nankina valley in Madang’s Rai Coast district are now themselves at risk after they were named in a news report.

The missionaries (names withheld) called on the police to send in more manpower to apprehend the “Het Wara” gang, saying their members who are on the ground would now be targeted by the gangsters.

This plea comes shortly after reports came in from sources on the ground that the house of one of the church members was burnt by the gang.

• READ MORE:  Lack of resources delaying police work in Madang: Rubiang
• Other PNG crime reports

One of the missionaries told the Post-Courier that they had not wanted to be named or take credit for what they were doing out of concern for the security of their members on the ground.

“Knowing how this gang operates, they will definitely go after our members when the police leave,” said the missionary.

“Over the course of two years, this gang has killed people who stood up to them, who reported them to authorities or who tried to get help.

“So we appeal to the government and the police, please send in more manpower, end their reign of terror.”

35 homes burnt down
Meanwhile, reports from the area indicate that the gang is continuing to terrorise villagers despite a contingent of policemen flying into the area this week. A total of 35 homes have been burnt down so far, with three men killed and several others severely injured.

There are also reports of an unconfirmed number of women and girls being abducted and raped by the gang in the last three weeks.

Madang police were deployed to the area on Sunday and 10 Northern mobile group policemen were deployed yesterday to beef up manpower to hunt down the gang.

The group was flown in yesterday morning to join the team of 11 from Madang.

Team leader Steven Yalamu told the Post-Courier that the team from Lae arrived safely and were all now based at Tibu.

21 policemen on the ground
“Currently, we have 21 men on the ground but we are looking at bringing in more manpower to hunt down these criminals who have been preying on their own people,” Detective Inspector Yalamu said.

“Also the place is so rugged and mountainous that we have to wait for a helicopter to fly us to where the gang is at now.

“The gang is still active and is moving, attacking other villages that are further away from where we are, but I’d like to remind them that the hand of the law is long and we will still catch up with them.”

Peace and normalcy has been restored at Tibu village where police are now based.

Yalamu called on all Tibu villagers who may still be hiding in the bush to return to their homes and village.

“I also call on all villagers in the area to work with us to apprehend this gang.”

Republished with permission.

Former Papua New Guinea radio broadcaster and tourism personality Erigere Singin has been elected as the first woman national president of the ruling Pangu Pati at its 26th National Convention in Port Moresby, reports the PNG Post-Courier.

Prime Minister and Pangu leader James Marape announced the election of Singin and other party executives after last Friday’s convention.

He also announced the election of Louisah Hosea as female vice-president, Sama Auro as male vice-president, and Joe Tep as church representative.

Singin, from Boana in Morobe, replaces Patrick Pundao.

Marape thanked Pundao for his service to Pangu over the past seven years.

“One of the key outcomes of today was the historical election of Ms Erigere Singin as our national president of Pangu Pati,” he said.

“It is my distinguished pleasure to make this official announcement to the country.

‘Historical milestone’
“It is a historical milestone for Pangu Pati.

“In 1977, the first lady into Parliament was Pangu’s Mrs Nahau Rooney, and Pangu is breaking the frontier barrier again.

“It is not only men who can do the job, women can also do the job.”

Singin, a former senior executive of PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (PNGTPA) and then executive director of Madang Visitors’ and Cultural Bureau, Singin thanked Marape and said what has happened was a breakthrough for women in the country.

She told The National that it was a breakthrough for women in the country.

“What happened today was very historic,” she said.

“There’s a huge paradigm shift here, from having men around the party, to giving some responsibility to women.

‘Important to work together’
“It is important that both men and women leaders work together to carry this party through, this country through, to stand together.

“I am very happy to be given this responsibility to work with the people of PNG.”

Pangu general secretary Morris Tovebae said the party’s message to the nation was clear: “Pangu is not a male-dominated political party. We are very inclusive and gender-conscious.”

Yesterday in Papua New Guinea, our Port Moresby-Madang flight got cancelled.

Minutes earlier, as we sat in the departure lounge, I was so confident.

No there was no doubt… Cancel that. I wasn’t even thinking about a cancellation.

• READ MORE: Scott Waide’s My Land, My Country

In my universe, a cancellation was not part of the equation.

I was going to Madang on PX 112.

Seconds before the the announcement began with “This is an advice to passengers traveling to Madang on PX 112…” came on, I had already started packing my Macbook and my phone. (Because I’m psychic like that.)

Then the message continued: “…this flight has been cancelled.” (Not so psychic, huh?)

My mood was audibly echoed by dozens of people in the departure lounge. “Another TANGFU!” someone said beside me. (Note to self: Google TANGFU).

So they said over the PA system, in so many words, go to the PX customer services counter to find out when your flight will take off – and in the same breath, indicating that it sure as hell wasn’t going to be today.

I walked out with my partner in crime in tow and my very dirty tactical backpack slug over my shoulder. Within seconds of stepping into the security checking area, a small security guard yelled from across the room for us to go through the other door.

His total religious compliance with covid-19 regulations meant that half his face was covered with a face mask making his ability to effectively communicate to customers extremely difficult. All I could make out was that he didn’t want us there.

“Oi! Na yu toktok isi!” I yelled back. He didn’t stop, he kept going on until someone yelled back at him.

We found our way out. PX customer service said the flight was rescheduled to early morning the next day. Wake up at 4am, check in at 5am. They also advised that there would be no accommodation for outbound passengers from Port Moresby.

AAAAAGH! we don’t live here and we checked out 4 hours ago from where we were!

So we ended up looking for accommodation near the airport. But the drama didn’t end there.

In my wisdom, I booked our accommodation online, got the dates wrong and booked for February 11 instead of January 28.

Long story short, I got scolded by my bestie who said, very sternly, “If we travel again, I will make travel arrangements, not you.”

Don’t blame me, blame the security guard and PX.

So, 4am in the morning we are there. Check in opens a bit late. It is manageable. No drama.

And we finally got on the flight. I mean, we are on board!!

Phew!

Editor’s note: Tang Fu is an “explosive” expression linked to the Chinese inventor and naval caption who invented a superior form of exploding rocket about 1000 AD which was said to be a forerunner of firearms. However, in the PNG context it means something else. Bob Howarth comments: “For those who never experienced it .. Tangfu … typical air nui gini f*** up!”

Asia Pacific Report republishes articles from Lae-based Papua New Guinean television journalist Scott Waide’s blog, My Land, My Country, with permission.

Madang commander Acting Superintendent Mazuc Rubiang said police were tipped off about the planned hold-up of the bus, and they boarded it beforehand, pretending to be passengers.

Four bodies were taken to the Modilon Hospital while the fifth was buried at the site of the shooting. Other members of the attacking group fled the scene during the shooting on Saturday.

Rubiang said the men were believed to be from Madang town and had been involved in a lot of robberies on the main highway.

He said many passengers and drivers had been victims.

“Police received intelligence of a planned armed holdup of buses travelling from Madang, between Negeri and Naru on the Madang-Lae highway,” he said.

“Acting on that, officers travelled to Double Mountain and waited for the buses.

“At about 12pm, the first bus arrived and all passengers were offloaded onto a police vehicle.

Five disguised policemen
“Five policemen disguised as passengers then got on the bus.

“When nearing the location of the planned holdup, the officers sighted someone coming out of the bush and then going back again.

“About 50m from the location, about three armed gunmen came out and opened fire on the bus.

“About 50m from the location, about three armed gunmen came out and opened fire on the bus.

“Police returned fire and shot the (five) criminals.”

Rubiang said some men fled leaving behind a gun, other weapons and a mobile phone.

“It is believed that some (were wounded) and escaped towards the Naru river,” he said.

“They were pursued. At this moment we are monitoring the area.”

Rubiang said “enough is enough” and warned criminals to stop their attacks.

Gynnie Kero is a reporter for Papua New Guinea’s The National newspaper.

A group of Papua New Guinean women who sell crafts at Madang’s famous Haus Kaving outside the Madang Resort have been badly hit by the covid-19 global pandemic.

The women told EMTV News they are no longer able to earn their daily income because of no customers.

They are calling on the national government through the tourism sector to come up with a plan on how to address tourism during the state of emergency (SOE) period.

READ MORE: PNG Media Council calls for ‘transparency’ over coronavirus

EMTV visited Haus Kaving outside of Madang Resort where these women are based at selling their handiwork to locals and tourists, seeing first-hand how covid-19 has affected their business. Most of their products are sold to resort guests, mostly tourists.

These small entrepreneurs had slashed their prices because there are no customers to buy their handicrafts.

The women say their business is in the tourism sector, and there should be a plan to help sustain their craft business during this period.

Despite the impact covid-19 has on their business these women remain optimistic keeping the Haus Kaving alive and remain determined by putting out their products whether or not they have customers.

Papua New Guinea has eight confirmed covid-19 cases.

Martha Louis is EMTV’s Madang reporter. The Pacific Media Centre republishes EMTV News stories with permission.

COMMENTARY: By Scott Waide in Lae

Just into the fourth month of 2019, and resource projects in Papua New Guinea have come under scrutiny.

Early last month, senior ministers of government, including Petroleum Minister Fabian Pok, traveled to Komo in Hela for meetings with landowners of the gas project.

After 15 years, there is some progress. Or at least that’s the positive spin to it.

READ MORE: O’Neill loses in high stakes battle for control of US$1.4b PNGSDP

There appears to be some indication that royalties locked away due to legal battles and tangled by bureaucratic red tape were going to be paid – but only after landowner identification processes.

Finance Minister James Marape told the media three months ago, that K300 million (NZ$132 million) is parked at the Central Bank ready to be released. But landowners or people claiming to be landowners had to follow a process of “landowner identification” in order to be paid the money.

There is some hope of an end to disputes. However, the final settlement is still a long way off. That’s the reality. Many of the elders died waiting for the royalty payments they were promised.

Since becoming a new province, there is still a lot that needs to be ironed out. The Hela provincial government still has to work its way through layers of bureaucratic processes that continue to favour the Southern Highlands in terms of royalty payments from the gas project.

It’s all that and a lot more.

Background to complexities
Understanding the background to the complexities of the resource project in Hela means going back some 20 years when oil extraction ended and the promise of Papua New Guinea becoming the Saudi Arabia and Dubai of the Pacific faded as the crude oil taps shut off.

It is against that backdrop that the neighbouring Enga province is now looking at the Porgera mine’s renegotiation through a wardens’ hearing. This is a process that is reopened after the end of a mining lease.

Landowners and the Enga provincial government are looking at a bigger slice of revenues and benefits.

What did they get over the last 30 years? That’s a point of contention for pro-mining and anti-mining proponents.

What is visible to the international community is the campaigns against alleged atrocities committed against local people in Porgera and the desperate push by locals to get what little crumbs they can from a mine that has existed for 30 years on their land.

For the first time in more than three decades, it appears the national government is speaking a different language: One that calls for greater benefits into government coffers and landowner pockets.

This rhetoric has come after 30 years of gold extraction, 500 shipments of liquefied natural gas and billions of dollars worth of round log exports.

Production-based tax
In Lae, during the opening of the Central Bank’s Currency Processing Facility, Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel talked about a production-based tax. Instead of a profit-based tax for resource projects which will be signed from 2019 onwards.

The general thinking from the national government is that a profits based tax can be deceptive leaving the government with very little to collect if a mining company declares losses or breaks even.

While Porgera discusses mine benefits, a similar process is happening in Madang. Triggered by an agreement between the Chinese and the PNG Governments, Ramu Nickel’s expansion is in discussions ongoing between the government and the developer.

The processes are long and drawn out. The risk is that without proper representation, landowners could be left with another raw deal for several more decades before another opportunity for renegotiation presents itself.

Scott Waide’s blog columns are frequently published by Asia Pacific Report with permission. He is also EMTV deputy news editor based in Lae.

• More Scott Waide articles
• Papua New Guinea resource extraction development
• Mining minister explains process

Two people are dead and a Papua New Guinean policeman is in critical condition in hospital after being wounded in clashes yesterday near Madang town.

The policeman, a senior constable, was trying to negotiate with local people who were protesting when he was slashed on his head and neck.

Police at the scene said the group of mainly local people was angry over harassment they had suffered on Friday at the hands of relatives of a teacher who had been beheaded at Bau on the Lae-Madang Highway.

Police said the locals were angry because they were not connected to the teacher’s killing.

After the initial confrontation, the crowd left, then regrouped just after midday yesterday.

As police were called in, locals felled a tree and blocked off Gum Bridge.

They also damaged the town’s water supply equipment near the bridge, and burnt an unmarked vehicle used by police.

The five officers in the vehicle were left unharmed.

Award-winning journalist Scott Waide is the Lae bureau chief on EMTV News and began his career with EMTV in 1997 as a news and sports reporter and anchor.

A three-member polling team has told of how they had to walk for hours carrying two ballot boxes, crossing 11 rivers and sleeping at a village to accomplish their task in Papua New Guinea’s general election.

Polling Team 52 was led by presiding officer Eric Inamuga and included polling official Joe Bais and police officer Fred Rimbao.

They were in charge of the 572 marked ballot papers for the Goroka Open electorate in the Highlands.

They were sent to remote Wessan in the Goroka electorate on the border of Eastern Highlands and Madang.

Inamuga said they travelled on Monday by helicopter to Wessan but could not land because the pilot was unable to identify the site.

“We returned to Goroka and made the second trip to Wessan the next day. We were dropped off at the Simili polling station to conduct polling there,” Inamuga told The National daily newspaper.

“We finished around 3 pm and waited for pick-up. The helicopter did not return so we spent the night with the locals at Wessan.”

They waited for pick-up until 1.30pm on Wednesday and decided to walk to Madang to catch transport to Goroka.

“We crossed 11 fast-flowing rivers, including the Ramu River. The water came up to our chest and neck.

“We braved through and managed to get to Kesevai along the Madang Highway about 6.30pm. A police team and an official election vehicle picked us up at 7pm on Wednesday.”

Police officer Rimbao said they had to spend around K120 (about $52) for accommodation, meals and other incidentals to do their election job.

Loop PNG reports today nearly three-quarters of Papua New Guineans have started voted, according to the PNG Electoral Commission. The rest will vote within the 14-day ballot period.

Port Moresby voters in the National Capital District (NCD) began their one-day polling today after the postponement from Tuesday.

• More PNG election stories