Stop the Kandep Fight - UPNG Kandep Students

Source: Post Courier, September 13, 2012 

Students worry
By KOLOPU WAIMA

FORTY lives have so far been lost and the Murip wheat project worth more than K3 million was burnt down to ashes among many villages destroyed in the current tribal war in Kandep, Enga province.
Over 100 people have been wounded and thousands homeless. Women are being raped and the disabled are forced into burning fires, and children are being killed.
Kandep High School, the only high school in the district, and other primary and elementary education institutions and health services have been closed and are no longer in operation.
District service providers and business houses have fled in fear of losing their lives and businesses.
But no one is taking the initiative to stop the fight and the whole Kandep District is under serious threat.
Lives are not the same anymore.
Concerned Kandep students from the University of Papua New Guinea and working class living in Port Moresby in a joint media statement yesterday pleaded to responsible politicians and leaders to stop the bloodshed immediately.
The Kandep students gathered at UPNG yesterday and pledged they unity, stand united. They strongly called on the leaders in the province and the electorate to immediately do something about stopping the fight.
The students said that they are demanding the politicians because it is an election related tribal fight.
“We are demanding responsible politicians to go to the district and disarm their tribesmen without any further delay. This request is being put out not in favor of any person or to oppose any person. But to expose ignorance of responsible leaders and authorities upon hearing news of people being killed,” they said.
The student said that the Kandep District was made up of Lai, Waike and Marient Local Level Government (LLG) and these three (3) LLGs were under tribal warfare.
They said that the core of election related tribal fight was between Kamprip and Okul tribes in the Mariant LLG.
This has affected over 50 major tribal groups whose villages and houses have been destroyed.
“We had our villages burned to ashes and our relatives displaced in other parts of Enga or fled to the Southern Highlands Province. We are calling on the responsible persons behind the election related violence to immediately disarm their tribal groups, the Kamprip and Okul Tribes,” the students said.
They said that, this was a general notice to any responsible leader or politicians from the district to stop pretending as if nothing was wrong in the electorate.
“A seven day ultimatum is given after the publication of this news either in one or two daily papers to responsible leaders to take action or you will be named to take personal responsibility for causing conflict between your tribes which resulted in many deaths and destruction of villages,” They said.
“We are calling the National Government to Declare Kandep District a Tribal War Zone and impose District Emergency. We humbly appeal to Prime Minister, Peter O’Neil to take note of this plea to direct your Police Minister and relevant agencies to investigate the validity of this information for appropriate assistance,” the Kandep students said.

Three matches for Kumuls

Source: Then National, Wednesday 12th September, 2012

By KEITH PUARIA

 

THE road to the 2013 Rugby League World Cup begins for the Papua New Guinea Kumuls when a 40-man squad is announced this week alongside the Prime Minister’s XIII side.

Kumuls coach Adrian Lam sat with the PM’s XIII selection panel on Sunday after the Digicel Cup grand final, and there is no doubt he would have reminded the panel about the World Cup build-up.

Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League caretaker administrator Ivan Ravu indicated the PM’s XII match was not the only game for the Kumuls.

“There is a lot of work to do for the PM’s XIII Sept 23 match, but also for preparing our national team for the world cup,” Ravu said.

“The 40-man squad that will be announced will come from our local competition, and the others will come from overseas competitions.”

“There is agreement with other overseas competitions for our players in the UK, so we are not able to pick them at the moment.”

The immediate commitment for those selected to the larger Kumuls squad will be a camp in early January.

Trials will be played at the end of the camp, from where a 24-man squad will be picked to travel to Sydney to play Australian National Rugby League side South Sydney.

“That same side will play a club from the Queensland Intrust Cup in Brisbane, on their way back home,” Ravu said.

He pointed again to the PM’s XIII challenge and preparations leading to it.

“Otherwise, the Lloyd Robson oval is currently going through a minor facelift for our immediate task of exposing a PM’s side against the Australians.”

“Work is underway also on the ground and the playing surface, a lot of manual work to do, irrigation, especially so the surface is good enough and up to standard.”

Australia, meanwhile, named their 18-man touring team to Port Moresby after the initial 35-man squad announced two weeks ago was trimmed

Poll court cases

Source: Post Courier, September 12, 2012

By JACOB POK
Election petition cases registered at the National Court has gone up to a total of 101 cases as of this week.
It has also been rated as the highest of past records of election petition cases according to court officials.
Despite that, the court is expected to deal with the cases promptly and parties were told to adhere to election petition rules when pursuing their cases. But before the formal directions hearing, several urgent cases have been brought up by petitioners seeking extension of time to serve the petitions to respective respondents in the petitions.
According to national court rules on election petition, petitioners are required to file and serve their petitions to the respondents within 14 days after filing the matter in the National Court Registry. Yesterday, two petitioners, former acting judge Nemo Yalo challenging James Lagea’s win in the Kagua-Erave seat of Southern Highlands Province and Kei Kapa challenging Sir Puka Temu’s win in the Abau seat of the Central Province filed urgent applications, seeking extension of time to serve their petition to the respective parties they named as respondents in their petitions.
They appeared before Election Petition administrator Justice Collin Makail and presented their grounds for the court to grant more time for them to properly file and serve their petitions to their respective respondents. Justice Makail after hearing the submissions extended a further 14 days each for both petitioners to serve their petition to their respective respondents.
Mr Nemo is expected to serve the petition to two respondents, Kagua-Erave Returning officer Albert Wens and Mr Lagea while petitioner Kapa is expected to further enquire with the electoral commission office and serve his petition to Dr Temu after obtaining the residential address of the Abau MP through the electoral commission office.

So Only 2 People Dead in Kandep Tribal fight??

The election related fighting in Kandep has claimed more lives than as reported in the National. Enga provincial police Commander Martin Lakari to report that only two people were dead is a slab in the face of the majority of Kandep people. This clearly shows how ignorant he has been together with the elected leaders of the province.

 

What grounds and which facts has he got to prove that only 2 people have died in the tribal fight. Confirmed cases that the public are aware of are, the following is the confirmed list for each tribe

Yuripaka rest house (Apais) - 4 confirmed including the killing during counting

Gini rest house - 3 confirmed including the one killed at Wabag during counting

Kolopa Rest house - 6 confirmed including 1 woman

Pura 2 rest house - 4 confirmed dead

Supi rest house - 3 confirmed dead

Imal rest house - 1 confirmed

 

The above list is excluding those that have spear and bullet wounds as well as those that have missed a hand or a leg with bullet. The confirmed figure is yet to received but this is based on confirmed cases received by the author. We expect more than this number in the finally tally of dead.

 

Destroying of properties is countless of up to 12 rest houses completely destroyed

 

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Polye, Manase called on to help restore peace

Source: The National, Wednesday 5th September, 2012

ENGA provincial police commander Martin Lakari is calling on Kandep parliamentarian Don Polye and his rival, Alfred Manase, to go back to the electorate and help police restore peace among their warring tribes.
“I call on all leaders of the district to help police restore peace,” Supt Lakari said.
The fight between the Akulya and Kambrip people of Kandep district started during the elections in July.
The fight reportedly started when suspects from Akulya, Manase’s tribe, allegedly hacked two Kambrips, Polye’s tribe, to death in Wabag town.
The fight was then taken to the village and surprise raids were conducted on the enemy tribes involved.
“During the fight they burnt down the million kina wheat factory in Murip village,” Lakari said.
He said thousands of kina worth of property that included permanent houses and vehicles were burnt.
He said women, children and other peace-loving people were displaced and now lived in fear.
“Only two deaths were officially recorded and not 30 or 40 deaths as reported in the media,” Lakari said.
“These are unnecessary speculations creating fear in people’s minds.”
Lakari said if people died or were injured they took them to the hospital and reported it police.
Lakari said he had sent 30 police task force officers from Wabag into the trouble zone on Aug 8.
“They (policemen) are negotiating peace. The fighting has slowed down,” Lakari said.
He warned the fighters to lay down their arms and make a commitment to peace, saying police would not be easy on them.
“I urge losing candidates to accept defeat and try the elections again in 2017,” Lakari said.

Court: Polye to pay cost

Source: The National, Friday 7th September, 2012

THE Waigani National Court has ordered Treasurer Don Polye to meet newspaper advertising costs for publishing the election petition summons filed against him by losing Kandep open candidate, Luke Alfred Manase.
The unexpected scenario stemmed from difficulty faced by Manase’s lawyers to serve court documents to Polye in person.
Justice Colin Makail said several affidavits confirmed there was difficulty in serving the court documents.
“I am satisfied that serious attempts have been made by the petitioner/applicant (Manase) on the first respondent (Polye) but have been unsuccessful,” he said.
Makail had ordered that the documents should be published in both the daily newspapers over the next two days.
The court was told that “it is unknown where the official residence” of Polye was, and failed attempts had been made by Manase’s lawyers to have an audience with Polye.
The court had been informed that there were phone messages left with staff from Polye’s Treasury Department to arrange for the summons to be served but it did not work out.
Under the election petition court rules, a losing candidate can file a petition against a win 40 days after the official declaration and summons are to be served within 14 days after filing it in the Court of Disputed Returns

Eighty dispute poll wins

Source: The National, Friday 7th September, 2012

By ELIAS NANAU

THE Court of Disputed Returns has received a total of 80 petitions as of yesterday afternoon with all provinces, except Bougainville, represented.
Associate judge to administer election petitions Charlie Williams said the latest petition, filed on Wednesday, was by Joseph Kobol, a losing candidate for the Southern Highlands provincial seat.
Kobol is challenging the win by William Powi, a former Southern Highlands provincial administrator.
Also among the 80 petitions, a losing female candidate for the Central provincial seat, Philomena Kassman, is disputing businessman Kila Haoda’s victory.
Election petition rules, developed by judges in 2002, state that an election petition can be filed within 40 days after the declaration of a member of parliament, and the petitioner is responsible for serving documents to the respondent within 14 days after filing.
It became evident this week that four petitioners have had difficulties with serving notices on two declared members who refused to accept them.
Simon Solo, the former West Sepik governor, went before Justice Colin Makail yesterday over his successor Amkat Mai’s refusal to accept service.
The court was told the petitioner, Solo, had produced documents before the first respondent, Mai, on several occasions.
“Solo had gone out of his own way to serve documents in a genuine and mature manner,” Makail said.
And with the time limitation expiring yesterday, Makail approved an additional seven days for Solo to serve the documents on Mai.
Makail had also extended time for losing Hela provincial candidate Alfred Kaiabe, who is challenging the win by Anderson Agiru.
“It is difficult when the declared member has gone into hiding,” Kaiabe told the court.But Makail said: “The onus is on you, as the petitioner, to go looking for him.
“If it means climbing Mt Everest, go for it.
“If you are unsuccessful, put it in your evidence and I will give you an alternate order,” Makail said.
Makail had also ordered a two-week extension for losing Koroba-Lake Kopiago candidate John Kelewa to serve documents on declared member Philip Undiali and also to publish them.
But with the documents totalling 70 pages, cost of publication was now a concern for Kelewa’s lawyer.
This week, Makail also ordered the election petition against Treasurer Don Polye to be published in The National and the other local paper.
Polye had been ordered to meet the cost of publishing the advertisement.
The court was told that petitioner Luke Alfred Manase had been unable to serve the documents.

Polye: Think of children

Source: Post Courier, Friday September 7, 2012

By Simon Eroro

“OUR children are our future and as parents we can never ignore our obligation to leave this world a better place, a place where our children can look to their future with hope and excitement, not with fear or trepidation.’’
This was what the Minister for Treasury Don Polye said when responding to Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion’s proposed Action Plan in the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government in Parliament yesterday.
Mr Polye said the Government’s commitment to education must be genuine and the education that it provides must provide for real jobs.
He said this was why law and order must be a priority so PNG’s children and families could grow and mature in safety,
“That is why we as leaders must do this work to build a stronger economy that gives hope for all. I have always advocated the importance of customs, our Melanesian ways and our Christian heritage. In particular, in seeking a solution to the constitutional disputes of the last term and the role of the courts and its Parliament and the position of the grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, I made it clear that we should look to customary reconciliation,” Mr Polye said.
Mr Polye said customary reconciliation was an important part of PNG culture. However, we must take the utmost care to ensure that in our use of reconciliation we do not undermine the fundamentals of good governance.
He told parliament that at this time of unity within the system of government the opportunity should be taken to review the laws made in the passion of the moment during the constitutional debate that were a problem.
“The separation of our arms of government is fundamental to our constitutional framework but there are times when we all must work together to allow us to move on – this is one of the times and together we can construct a new exciting successful Papua New Guinea in which we all benefit.
“Those benefits must improve the lives of all people. We must take every Papua New Guinean on this journey – leaving nobody behind because that is the obligation of leadership,” Mr Polye said

Kandep chaotic

There is no time to point fingers....Act now!!

 

Fighting has started since the declaration of the election results which was on July 13, 2012 and or even before that when counting was going on at Wabag. What is very interesting is that, the so called Leaders have turned a blind eye on what was happening at home. Several attempts was made in writing to our daily papers to bring this to the public but this did not get published for some reason known to themselves, probably because of the fact that there was no publicity of no concrete evidence to substantiate.

 

Since then, total lives lost to date is more than 50 excluding those that have lost a leg or a arm and spear wounds.  The most interesting scenario is how the poor people at home have managed to get these high powered weapons given their background where Kandep has no cash crops to generate their income and pigs, the only source of income takes couple of years to grow up and mature.

 

The Eastern part of Mariant constituency is now all war zones with innocent families displaced from their homes and living in the bushes for cover but always in fear of attack every minute of their lives. the total number of villages completely destroyed accounts at 12 so far and might continue if nothing is done.

 

It is believed that everyone has played a part to be in this situation, the people themselves had they not started the fight, the leaders had they intervened early, the election official including the electoral commission had they heard the people's cry to remove the RO at the first place because of his record in the conduct of previous elections.

 

Now the damage has already been done so the best thing to do now is to find a solution to the problem rather than pointing fingers at each other in an aim to find the root cause. A better solution is required now or more lives will be lost. The rate at which lives are lost is alarming with more than 2 per day.

 

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Source: The National, Friday 31st August 2012

By ELIAS LARI
MORE than 30 police personnel from Wabag have been deployed to Kandep, Enga, to prevent further killings and destruction caused to properties by supporters of election candidates.
The fights in Kandep were among the supporters who attacked each other straight after the declaration of Don Polye, according to provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari.
Lakari said yesterday the policemen were deployed into the affected
area last week to protect lives and property.
“This fight between supporters has been going on since the declaration (of the winner of the electorate), but I cannot give the exact figure of those who have died and property damaged, including domestic animals which were killed.
“I need to receive a full report on the matter and decide on what is the next step to take to completely stop the fight.”
Lakari said police officers deployed a week ago were carrying out awareness and educating the people to lay
Lakari said peace negotiations were progressing well and hoped to see a change happen soon.
“Apart from property, food crops are also affected and I do not know what people are eating to survive.
“I condemn this fight as there are no good reasons for people to take on each other,” he said.
“Tribal fights do not bring anything good.
“I don’t know why they are taking this as a game to attack each other.”
He said the only way to live a peaceful life was to do away with tribal fights.
“No one can claim that his tribe or clan has
won.
“Both sides will suffer destruction and loss of lives,” Lakari said

War zones in Kandep, Porgera districts

Source: Home News, Post Courier, September 3, 2012

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

TWO districts of Kandep and Porgera in Enga province will be declared fighting zones, Enga Governor Peter Ipatas said last week.
Governor Ipatas also reignited the call for the ban of firearms in the country as he was very critical of police lack of action in the province in restoring peace.
The Enga Governor said he had asked the provincial peace and good order committee to convene an urgent meeting early next week to declare the two districts of Kandep and Porgera as fighting zones.
He said the use of guns is prevalent in most of the fights and asked from where the villagers are getting their guns and ammunition.
He alleged that the leaders are the ones behind the purchase of guns and ammunitions for their people.
“Most of the villagers are fully armed and because of that they are so powerful but the ultimate price is death.”
“A lot of killings are not by bows and arrows but with guns.”
Mr Ipatas said police can do the job in restoring law and order but there is no efficiency on the ground.
“Every time there is trouble police are needing money to move in - but why? Didn’t they take an oath to protect property and lives. Why should they always asked for money?”
Mr Ipatas said there was also no need for a state of emergency because it will be the same police who are going to be paid allowances to do the job that they can do now to restore normalcy.
“If the police are not doing their job then some heads must roll including that of the Police Commissioner, Provincial Police Commander and whoever is in charge over the police.”
Mr Ipatas said there is a big police presence in Porgera but they cannot contain the situation on the ground.
“This is not guerilla warfare. It is a tribal war that must be contained by police.”Mr Ipatas said he will be organising a trip with the police, Barrick and government officials to fly into Porgera next week to assess the situation.
“We leaders can be talking all day but at the end of the day it is the responsibility of police to restore law and order,” Mr Ipatas said.

The ONeil Dion Cabinet