The Papua New Guinea police opened fire on students protesting against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill Wednesday in the country’s capital city, Port Moresby.
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Australian news broadcaster ABC reported that PNG’s parliament was told that four people were killed during the incident, which witnesses said broke out after police blocked protesting students from marching to the legislature.
A groundswell of political unrest in recent weeks has surged in the country, just to Australia’s north, amid calls for Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to resign over corruption allegations.
Waliagai Olewale, a reporter at the local National Broadcasting Corp., said armed police in 20 vehicles clashed with hundreds of students.
“They fired shots, they fired shots directly at the crowd”, he said.
Anjo described the scene as police arrived at the campus, set up a roadblock and began to attack students, “I saw at least four injured myself, but there were many, many injured”.
Another says “But I got to see a guy, it was literally got shot and he fall on the road”.
“OFC has received advice from its security consultant regarding the protest at University of Papua New Guinea and, having held discussions with all relevant stakeholders, a decision has been taken to continue as planned”, it said.
The University of PNG sought, and won, a court injunction preventing students protesting and boycotting classes.
Police spokesman Dominic Kakas said 23 students were hospitalized, five in critical condition.
Qantas Airways (QAN.AX) and Virgin Australia (VAH.AX) said they had cancelled one flight each from Australia to Port Moresby and were assessing whether to fly on Thursday.
“The people behind these protests have political agendas”, he said in a statement.
O’Neil has denied the allegations, and last month published a lengthy letter responding to the students’ concerns suggesting the accusations were politically motivated.
In 2014 an anti-corruption watchdog released an order for his arrest over the event, which O’Neill rejects.
“We are fed up with the government, we are fed up with the police”, Mr Anjo said.
Jun 9, 2016- The University of Papua New Guinea has obtained an injunction to stop protests after a number of people were hurt when a demonstration turned violent.
Commissioner Baki has called on people to remain calm and that “unconfirmed, unsubstantiated and unfounded reports can cause fear, anxiety and could actually cause or incite violence and public disorder”.
O’Neill has resisted calls to resign since he was implicated in a major corruption scandal two years ago that included alleged government mismanagement and questionable worldwide dealings.
Police are investigating whether he authorized millions of dollars in illegal payments from the government to Paraka Lawyers, one of the Pacific nation’s largest law firms.
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The protestors accuse police of throwing punches and kicking them before firing directly at the crowd.
