Papua nueva Guinea: Student protest turned violent in Port Moresby

Papua nueva Guinea: Student protest turned violent in Port Moresby

Papua Nueva guinea/junio de 2016/ Papua nueva guinea education news

Resumen: Una marcha prevista para el parlamento por estudiantes de la Universidad de Papua Nueva Guinea se convirtió, este miércoles pasado en volátil, cuando la policía disparó varios tiros y varios estudiantes resultaron críticamente heridos y algunos transeúntes. La escena se volvió caótica cuando los disparos de fuego de la policía, incluyendo el gas lacrimógeno para dispersar a la multitud. Según testigos, la policía disparó un tiro en el aire y la siguiente a la multitud de estudiantes para dispersarlos. Varios estudiantes resultaron heridos al siguiente disparo, y posteriormente fueron trasladados al hospital Gerehu y el Hospital General de Port Moresby.

A planned march to parliament by students from the University of Papua New Guinea turned volatile yesterday morning when police fired several shots and critically wounded several students and few bystanders.

Protesting students defied police orders when their crowd was restrained against the march at the main gate of the university. The scene became chaotic when police fire shots including tear gas to disperse the crowd.

According to eye witnesses, police fired one shot in the air and the next one at the crowd of students to disperse them. The next shot injured several students, who were later rushed to Gerehu hospital and Port Moresby General Hospital.

Immediately after students were pushed back into campus by police as all gates leading into the premier university were closed. Some students managed to make it out from the back gates through the university residential area. Continuous gun shots followed after as students fled.

Two female students, a bystander and a 16 year male primary school student were also injured during a later shootout at back of the university and at Morata.

A student in the crowd described the situation as complete chaos. During the confrontation, a police vehicle was damaged and windscreens smashed.

Panic stricken parents raced to the Waigani Primary, just behind the university to remove students out of the school as several gun shots were heard further into Morata.

Gerehu hospital managed 18 cases and referred five patients to Port Moresby General Hospital.

This paper witnessed a fleeing student shot at the university staff residential area transported by the university security guards to the hospital.

According to a senior clinician with Port Moresby General Hospital emergency department, four of those five are students, seriously injured with bullet wound to the head, and another with bullet wound to the chest. Two had major injuries to the blood vessels and nerve injuries to left elbow.

Most of the students were treated and dismissed with minor injuries.

Late yesterday, in a press conference, police commissioner Gari Baki said an immediate investigation will be carried out after police receive medical reports from the hospital.

“It’s an unfortunate that students have been injured during the incident,” the commissioner said.

Commissioner Baki also cautioned media to report facts on the current issue.

Mr Baki said what has transpired at the university has gone beyond. He said students have come out of the university campus into the public domain and were confronted by police.

“If we had sufficient man power, we would have arrested all students,”

The commission said it was time to question the integrity of the current situation.

He said police will be out on full force today. Post Courier / PNG Education news

Fuente: http://edu.pngfacts.com/education-news/student-protest-turned-violent-in-port-moresby