Two die in payback attack in PNG

THE ethnic clash between the Bubu people and Watuts at Bulolo township spilled over to Wau, with two men from Bubu killed in a retaliatory attack. 

The Bubus are from an isolated area on the border between Morobe’s Garaina district and Central’s Goilala district.

The attack occurred on Saturday night while MPs Sam Basil (Bulolo), Ross Seymour (Huon Gulf) and Tobias Kulang (Kundiawa-Gembogl) and Morobe Mining Joint Venture community affairs general manager Stanley Komunt spent the night in Wau after launching the Bulolo Cultural Show. 

The locals contained the situation until Sunday and Basil, Bulolo administrator Tae Gwambelek, Wau rural manager Judy Pokana, Watut president Waka Daimond, Wau-Bulolo urban mayor Temo Kuwaweto and other leaders held an emergency meeting. 

“No district support improvement programme (DSIP) funds will be spent to cater for man-made disasters and care centres to cater for displaced people because the money will be spent to deliver infrastructure and needed services to people in rural LLGs such as Tekadu, Waria, Biaru, Kasangare, Zeri, Yamap, Watut and others,” Basil said.

“This is a law and order issue and those who instigated the issue should be held responsible to cater for displaced people while the culprits be arrested and detained to face the law.” 

The spill to Wau on Saturday night occurred after Gwambelek and Basil’s appeal to people not to take the law into their hands in Wau.

Gwambelek said that two men from Bubu, one who instigated the fight and another, were confirmed dead from wounds while another, who had suffered arrow and knife wounds, was in hiding.

The Watut man was attacked by the Bubus demanding money  had created the situation which was still tense.

Settlements from Karanas, Aitape and New Camp were burnt down on Saturday.

Gwambelek said that a meeting was held with police and representatives of displaced people and a solution was being sought.

The National