BFF-07 Plane, governor’s house torched in PNG violence

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PNG-UNREST-POLITICS

Plane, governor’s house torched in PNG violence

SYDNEY, June 18, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Papua New Guinea has declared a state of
emergency in its rugged Southern Highlands after an armed mob went on the
rampage, torching a passenger plane and the local governor’s house.

Police said crowds were angered by a court decision to dismiss a petition
against provincial governor William Powi’s 2017 election, amid concerns of
corruption.

They burned down Powi’s home and the local courthouse in the town of Mendi
late last week and destroyed an aircraft belonging to the national carrier at
the airport.

No one was hurt, and Air Niugini said the crew of the Dash 8 airliner were
safe and had returned to the capital Port Moresby.

The airline said it was conducting “a full review of what occurred, and a
risk assessment in accordance with PNG Civil Aviation Safety Authority
requirements”, with services to the area suspended.

Images on social media showed the twin-engine turboprop plane on fire, with
the fuselage burnt through.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill on Friday declared a nine-month state of
emergency and suspended the provincial government.

“Normalcy is being restored in the province and today we want to apologise
to Papua New Guinea for the recent events that had taken place, mainly out of
frustration,” he told the Post Courier newspaper Monday.

“No person is above the law and all involved will face the full force of
the law and answer for any crime they have committed,” he added in a
statement.

Thomas Eluh, a former policeman, has been given constitutional emergency
powers, with O’Neill personally overseeing operations of the provincial
government.

A Radio New Zealand reporter in Mendi, Melvin Levongo, said police had been
outnumbered and unable to stop the rioters who were armed with high-powered
weapons.

“The mob wanted to do something… people were very angry towards the
governor… and so did something to get the attention of the current
government,” he told the broadcaster.

“In PNG history, nobody burnt down Air Niugini (planes) before. It’s our
pride, and for the people in Mendi to be doing that, it’s sad. The whole
nation is unhappy about it.”

BSS/AFP/MSY/0843 hrs