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Papua New Guinea (PNG), a country located in the Australian continent, has been hit by riots after police went on strike over pay. Properties in the capital Port Moresby were attacked and set on fire as per media reports.
Police in the Pacific Island nation have struggled with a surge in violent crime over the past year. Police had begun a strike on Wednesday morning after discovering a reduction in their pay packets.
As per the latest reports, at least 15 people have died during a night of violent riots.
Eight people died in riots in the capital Port Moresby while a further seven were killed in Lae, in the country’s north ABC News reported.
Prime Minister James Marape said the “lawlessness” would “not be tolerated” after angry crowds looted shops and torched buildings throughout Wednesday evening.
The government circulated messages on social media denying that a new tax had been imposed on police, and Marape vowed to fix any administrative error that had caused the pay shortfall.
Footages on social media showed fires burning in the city on Wednesday, with the PNG Post Courier newspaper reporting firefighters had been threatened as they tried to do their jobs.
The United States embassy in Port Moresby said police had returned to work, but that tensions remained high.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country’s high commission was monitoring the situation, and Canberra had not received any requests for help from Papua New Guinea, which it regularly supports in policing and security.
“We continue to urge calm at this difficult time. We haven’t had any requests from the PNG government at this time but … our friends in Papua New Guinea, we have a great relationship with them,” Albanese said.
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Published: 11 Jan 2024, 09:06 AM IST
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