A top military contractor can avoid paying a $35 million dollar penalty for providing faulty materials to the military – we’ll explain the legal loophole that got them out of trouble. An entire Mississippi town spent more than a week without safe drinking water thanks to a series of failures following catastrophic floods. We’ll have […]
The post America’s Lawyer: Putin’s Critics Keep “Falling” From Windows appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
Tabloid Jubi in Jayapura
The lawyer of the families of the victims of the Mimika murder case has criticised the military reconstruction of the killings and mutilation of the four Nduga residents, describing it as “odd” and calling for an independent investigation.
“The reconstruction of the murder by the security forces is very odd,” lawyer Gustaf R Kawer said in Jayapura yesterday.
“It is mostly the version of the perpetrators and less from the witnesses.”
According to Kawer, the reconstruction that took place last Saturday demonstrated 40 scenes. Of these, only 10 showed the role of the Raider/20 Ima Jaya Keramo Infantry Brigade soldiers accused over the murder and mutilation.
Kawer questioned how the reenactment of the crime emphasised the role of Roy or RMH — a fugitive still at large who did not participate in the reconstruction.
“The story that was built in the reenactment from the beginning to the end revolved around Roy. But the person was not even there.
“It was as if Roy was made the sole perpetrator even though there were Indonesian military [TNI] members named as suspects,” Kawer said.
‘Finding it strange’
The murder and mutilation of four civilians from Nduga Regency occurred at Settlement Unit 1, Mimika Baru District, Mimika Regency on August 22, 2022.
The four victims were Arnold Lokbere, Leman Nirigi, Irian Nirigi and Atis Tini.
Kawer said the reenactment showed one of the victims, Arnold Lokbere, in front of a mosque at 10pm local time.
“We find it strange that people around the location who are mentioned in the reenactment do not know about the murder,” he said.
Kawer called for an independent team to fully investigate the chronology and reconstruction of the Mimika murder and mutilation.
“The case has now been handed over to the military police and the police, and will be tried in the general court and military court as a general criminal case,” Kawer said.
Meanwhile, Papua Legislative Council member Namantus Gwijangge said the victims’ families considered the reenactment of the murder scene as “rushed”.
Call for ‘death sentence’
“The family asked the Papua Legislative Council to have the case investigated by an independent team, and the perpetrators be sentenced to death,” Gwijangge said.
On Monday, the Papua Office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM Papua) said the reconstruction had not fully revealed the murder and mutilation.
Komnas HAM Papua head Frits Ramandey noted that several accused refused to act out certain scenes so some roles were replaced by other people.
Komnas HAM Papua also said that the reconstruction raised suspicion that there were two more soldiers of the Raider/20 Ima Jaya Keramo Infantry Brigade involved in the murder and mutilation but they had not been named as suspects.
However, Komnas HAM Papua did not mention the names or ranks of the two other soldiers allegedly involved.
Republished from Tabloid Jubi/West Papua Daily with permission.
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
This week’s News on China in 2 minutes.
• CPC’s 20th Congress date announced
• 234 arrested in Henan fraud case
• Mobilizing to fight Chongqing wildfires
• China’s rural “toilet revolution”
This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.
Donald Trump has had the worst two weeks of his post-presidential life, legally speaking, and things only appear to be getting worse from here. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins talks with author Cliff Schecter, host of The Takedown on YouTube, about how bad things are getting for Trump, and why he might be able to […]
The post Trump Might Not Survive The Legal Onslaught He’s Now Facing appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have made several arrests in recent months in the drone case
COMMENTARY: By Paul Wolffram
It was at the end of a long day of walking back and forth over the dusty roads of Goroka town in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea that I first met Evelyn.
I’d spent the morning interviewing three inmates in the regional penitentiary, Bihute Prison, about their participation in the murder of three people who they believed had killed a relative.
That afternoon I interviewed a policeman and a government official about the increasing impact of sanguma — sorcery violence — on the people of the region.
Everyone I talked with agreed that sanguma was a serious issue. I ended each interview by asking the men, what can be done to quell the violence and halt the spread of this growing problem.
Not one of them was able to provide an answer. “The problem was simply too big” and “there are no resources to help”, they said. As I climbed into the back of a rust-filled Econovan, the wife of one of the officials who had lingered in the background during the last interview, rushed to hand me a piece of paper.
She handed over the torn note, saying: “You must find her.”
The note contained the hastily written name “Evelyn Kunda” and a phone number. By the time I climbed out of the Econovan, back in the centre of Goroka, I’d made contact and walked directly to the Catholic mission.
There I found Evelyn Kunda. She looked like many other women in Goroka, dressed in a Meri blouse –- a Mother Hubbard style dress. Her hair was deep back and densely curled.
Warmth and intelligence
She looked to be in her early 50s but life in the Highlands towns and villages can make it hard to tell. What struck me the most about her appearance was the warmth of her smile and the intelligence in her eyes.
I didn’t know why the official’s wife had to told me to find her, I struggled to find a place to start. I told Evelyn, that I was researching sanguma in the Highlands, and asked what she might know.
WILDFIRE from Paul Wolffram on Vimeo.
Kunda explained that she, along with other volunteers of the Catholic Church, worked to hide, rehabilitate, and eventually — where possible — relocate the survivors of sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV).
As trucks expelled oily exhaust fumes, pushing dust down the road behind us, she described how difficult and dangerous the work had become for her and other volunteers in Goroka.
“In one instance we were looking after a woman whose husband had beaten her. He wanted to kill her. I took her to my house. Then her husband wanted to kill us as well,” Kunda said.
For a time, the Catholic church provided Kunda with a house in their compound but that soon became problematic, and the women were asked to leave. Now Kunda runs an unofficial safe house hidden among the shanties on the outskirts of the town.
‘They’re traumatised’
Kunda does her best to provide for them, but she explains: “They often can’t talk with us, they find it very difficult to talk about what has happened, they’re traumatised”.
She provides them with a place to sleep, food from her tiny garden, and whatever she can afford from the markets and trade stores.
At the end of our interview, I posed the same question to Evelyn Kunda that I’d asked the officials earlier that day.
“What can we do to stop sorcery violence?” Kunda’s response was immediate and practical, “We do all we can with whatever we have. Solutions can’t be found by sitting on our hands.”
Her work is proof that she’s a woman of action.
The following year, in 2019, I visited Evelyn Kunda’s safe house. A small two-room dirt floored hut that she’d built with offcuts of timber, bush materials, and sheets of old corrugated iron.
At the time she had two women living with her. One had escaped a violent partner and the other had been beaten as an accused witch. Kunda is desperate for support.
Working on a film
We began working together on a film, with the aim of showing the extent of the impact of sanguma in the Highlands. I also wanted to show the world the incredible work Kunda is doing to resist the violence, rescue survivors, and educate others against gender and sorcery-based violence.
I was to return to Goroka in 2020 to complete the filming and to bring Evelyn Kunda back to New Zealand to work with us on the post-production but, like so many other plans, co covid-19 interrupted them.
The last two years have been more difficult than usual in the dusty frontier towns in the Highlands. As covid-19 swept through communities in Papua New Guinea and the morgue at Goroka hospital filled to overflowing, the amount of sorcery accusation-related violence rose too.
Local researcher Fiona Hukula said that there was a lack of clear communication about covid-19 available in PNG and significant amounts of disinformation. The National newspaper reported about a 45-year old woman and her daughter who were accused of sorcery and tortured by their relatives after her husband died of covid-19 in April last year.
Emma Dawson, Caritas Australia’s Pacific manager, described increasing domestic violence reports and sorcery accusation-related violence in July last year.
The violence occurs when a community blames a death or illness on sorcery. They identify a local man or woman as a witch and torture and kill them in shocking scenes of mob violence.
Earlier in 2021 a young boy died suddenly in the Highlands province of Hela. Within a few days a woman’s body was left by the side of the road. She’d been lynched and killed by her own community.
No cultural background
Ruth Kissam who works for a local NGO, the Tribal Foundation, told the ABC that violence like this didn’t have a cultural background, even in areas where belief in sorcery was traditional.
“Sorcery accusation-related violence picked up about 10 to 15 years ago. Culturally, there is a deep belief in sorcery in many parts of PNG but it was never violent.” Kissam said that this was a law-and-order problem.
Back in Goroka there were other instances where people were known to have died from covid-19 but the community and family refused to accept the diagnosis and in one case a woman was burnt with hot irons and thrown from a bridge. She survived, but her daughter and other family members were also targeted.
For Evelyn Kunda at the grasruts, running a safe house in a community where her presence and work are not always supported by landowners, life has become even more tenuous. Over the last two years I’ve maintained constant contact with her. At one time she had eight adults and children living in her tiny house.
Last week, Kunda was accosted by a group of women who beat her because of the work she does with the community’s most vulnerable.
Evelyn Kunda has no government support; she is not linked with any national or international NGO or aid organisation. She volunteers for this work out of compassion. Despite these difficulties, she is making a real difference to the lives of the women, men and children she houses and supports.
How long she will be able to continue this work is unknown.
Dr Paul Wolffram is a film maker and associate professor in the Film Programme at Te Herenga Waka. He has been working with communities in Papua New Guinea for more than 20 years.
Unsealed court documents reveal a massive sex abuse cover up inside the Mormon Church. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: Unsealed court documents reveal a massive sex abuse cover up inside the Mormon church. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins joins me […]
The post Mormon Church Set Up Phony Tip Line For Sex Abuse Victims appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
There were lots of positive developments involving human trafficking litigation this week. Mike Papantonio is joined by attorney Carissa Phelps to explain what’s happening. Click here to learn more about human trafficking lawsuits. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: There were lots of positive developments involving […]
The post Judge Rules Against Visa In Human Trafficking Lawsuit appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
America’s Lawyer E16: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Asia this week has caused global concern, as fears about an attack from China continued to escalate. We’ll tell you what’s happening. Bank of America is hoping more people lose their jobs in the coming year – and they admitted this in a recent memo. We’ll […]
The post America’s Lawyer: Nancy Pelosi Nearly Triggers World War III appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
By Gynnie Kero in Port Moresby
National Capital District Metropolitan Police Superintendent Gideon Ikumu has ruled out a proposal to impose a curfew in the capital city Port Moresby in the wake of the recent spate of violence.
He said the situation was expected to return to normal after soldiers yesterday joined policemen on the city streets monitoring the crisis.
A fight started on Sunday evening following a dispute between scrutineers of the Moresby Northeast candidates inside the counting venue at the Sir John Guise stadium.
It spilled onto the main road where men armed with machetes attacked each other.
It continued yesterday morning.
Most business houses told their employees to stay at home yesterday for their own safety.
Vanimo-Green MP Belden Namah called for an immediate declaration of a State of Emergency in troubled zones throughout the country.
Namah calls for ‘state of emergency’
“I am now calling for immediate declaration of the State of Emergency and curfew in Port Moresby, Enga and all the trouble zones,” Namah said.
But Ikumu said a curfew was not necessary as security personnel were monitoring the situation.
He hoped everything would return to normal today.
He said police had rounded up 18 suspects since Sunday.
“Less than 10 [people were] injured. Most didn’t go to the hospital,” Ikumu said.
“No deaths. Police have to link those suspects to the incident.
“They are subject to further investigations.”
Police chief turned to military
Police Commissioner David Manning asked Defence Force Chief Major-General Mark Goina for assistance.
Caretaker Prime Minister James Marape yesterday said the National Capital District was no place for criminals.
Marape said that additional manpower from the Papua New Guinea Defence had been deployed to support the Royal Papua New Guinea constabulary to police the nation’s Capital District.
“If you do not like the results of the counting, take it to the court of disputed returns,” he said.
“And let the Electoral Commission do its job and complete the counting process, send your scrutineers in to witness, and all candidates and supporters stay away from counting sites,” he said.
Marape said that candidates who were contesting to become leaders should not try to take the law into their own hands.
Gynnie Kero is a reporter for The National in Papua New Guinea. Republished with permission.
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
National Capital Dictrict (NCD) police have arrested 18 suspects following the slasher attacks on civilians yesterday outside Papua New Guinea’s national elections counting centre at Port Moresby’s Sir John Guise stadium.
NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu said the men were “persons of interest” and police would continue investigating.
“The men [suspects] are in custody with no charges laid until completion of the investigation by our CID,” Superintendent Ikumu said.
He also reassured city residents and the public to remain calm as the police were now out in numbers to carry out patrols and maintain order in the city.
“I hope this doesn’t happen again — our men are now dispatched to areas of concern to monitor and to ensure public safety is guaranteed,” Superintendent Ikumu said.
Superintendent Ikumu said members of the PNG Defence Force were also assisting city police by protecting the counting area at the Sir John Guise Stadium.
“This will now see support units assist regular police to maintain order in Port Moresby,” he said.
The city police chief said opportunists were also taking advantage of the situation. He urged city residents and the general public to be vigilant.
“While police and other security forces are out to ensure order, I call on residents to be mindful when moving around,” said Superintendent Ikumu.
He had also asked the NCD Election Manager to suspend counting until tensions eased in the city.
‘Global shame’
The National’s Rebecca Kuku reports that Papua New Guinea was “shamed internationally … when general election 2022 (GE22) candidates’ supporters turned the streets in the … capital Port Moresby into a battlefield.
“Innocent people ran helter-skelter as political supporters wielding bush knives started chasing and slashing people indiscriminately on the streets in front of City Hall (the National Capital District Commission building) about 2.30pm.
“People were seen running into the compound of the nearby Vision City Mega Mall for refuge as the assailants went about slashing their victims who collapsed on the spot.
“The uncivilised electoral violence started at the nearby Sir John Guise Stadium where counting of GE22 ballots were in progress for the Moresby Northeast electorate.
“Police said the knife-wielding offenders were supporters of two candidates and at least two were wounded.”
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby
Running like a pack of animals, a group of political party supporters in Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby were armed with bush knives, iron bars and other weapons as they chased down two men outside the national elections counting centre yesterday afternoon.
They reached the first man, and without a second thought they slashed him outside the Sir John Guise Stadium in Waigani.
Then they reached the second man, he fell, they slashed him without hesitation, and they continued attacking him.
The third man wasn’t so lucky, he was casually walking by and the mob turned their attention onto him. He put up his hands in a sign of protest. He was attacked, his hand sliced off, he fell and the mob mercilessly slashed him.
Police Commissioner David Manning was disgusted by the turn of events, saying: “How many ways can you report animalistic behaviour?”
The Post-Courier has confirmed that six men were wounded but no deaths were reported.
The video showing these horrific attacks has now caught the attention of everyone. The response has been quick — all makeshift tents belonging to scrutineers, vendors and supporters were removed, burnt and everyone outside the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex were chased away by security personnel.
What was the issue?
What was the issue these men were angry about? It was alleged that the attacks were over nine ballot boxes from ward 6 in Moresby Northeast.
The Post-Courier understands that scrutineers from Moresby Northeast demanded that the counting officials stop nine boxes from ward 6 from being counted and continue to wards 9 and 12 because a candidate was leading.
The scrutineers argued among themselves and the argument was taken outside, where it led to an argument and eventually a fight broke out.
The Post-Courier was at the scene after the video was released and witnessed security personnel removing all makeshift tents along the John Guise Road which passes by the stadium where the election counting is taking place.
For the next 30 minutes — from 3.30pm to 4pm — security personnel entered Vision City gates and checked the area.
More security personnel were outside checking vehicles and removing any remnants of the makeshift tents.
Shots were also fired into the air to disperse crowds that had gathered. It was a tense moment.
Eventually the area was cleared.
Nine suspects arrested with bush knives
Police said that after the slashing of the men, about 30 minutes later, policemen stopped a blue land cruiser and nine suspects were apprehended with five bush knives in their possession.
The nine were taken to the Waigani police station cells and their particulars were taken down by police investigators. Police are now investigating incident.
Meanhile, shots were fired around the Rita Flynn Courts as police also removed and dispersed makeshift tents of scrutineers, supporters and vendors along the Bava road.
According to a police source what happened at SJGS may also happen at other counting centres and thus police are not taking any more chances.
Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
By Jairo Bolledo in Manila
A day before the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr in Quezon City, a shooting incident inside the Ateneo de Manila University claimed the lives of at least three individuals, including the former mayor of Lamitan, Basilan, Rose Furigay.
Furigay was supposed to attend the graduation of her daughter, Hannah, when she was shot about 3.30 pm yesterday. Furigay suffered gunshot wounds in her head and chest.
Graduation rites of the Ateneo Law School were cancelled by the university.
Aside from Furigay, her long-time aide, Victor George Capistrano was also shot and died on the scene.
Ateneo security guard Jeneven Bandiala also died, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Brigadier-General Remus Medina said during his briefing on Sunday.
Hannah was also wounded in the incident and was immediately taken to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center. Medina said she was currently in stable condition.
Suspect Dr Chao Tiao Yumol was also wounded and suffered a gunshot wound. The police said they were still determining who shot the suspect.
The police recovered bullets and two guns — one with a silencer. Medina said Yumol used the gun with a silencer in killing the victims.
Yumol and his motive
Yumol, 38, is a general practitioner doctor and a native of Lamitan City. The police said the doctor had personal motives for killing Furigay.
“Initially, sa pagtatanong namin sa kanya, meron na silang long history ng away sa Lamitan, Basilan. So according to them, eh nagpapalitan na sila ng kaso. Itong si doktor naman ay laging nape-pressure sa pamilya ng Furigay. So lumalabas, personal ang away nila,” Medina said during his briefing.
(Initially, based on our interrogation of the suspect, they have a long history of conflict in Lamitan, Basilan. According to them, they filed cases against each other. The doctor was always pressured by the Furigay family. So it turned out that they had a personal conflict.)
Medina said Furigay filed 76 counts of cyber libel against Yumol, which temporarily prevented the suspect from practising medicine, according to the police. The suspect was detained for his libel cases, but was able to post bail, Medina added.
According to the QCPD director, Yumol also alleged that Furigay had a history of corruption:
“May ina-allege din si Doctor Yumol na katiwalian ng mayor. According to him, iyon po ang mga ina–allege niya, that is now subject for verification (Doctor Yumol is also alleging that the slain mayor was involved in corruption. According to him, that is what he is alleging, that is now subject for verification).”
The suspect was currently in the custody of the QCPD and undergoing custodial investigation.
No mention of human rights
Meanwhile, Rappler reports that was zero mention of human rights when Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr delivered his inaugural speech as president of the Philippines on June 30, and he went on to serve his first month in Malacañang without appointing anyone to the board vacancy of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
For his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) today, there is a mix of optimism and pessimism from the human rights community.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of international group Human Rights Watch, urged Marcos to seize the “chance to distance himself from the rampant rights violations and deep-seated impunity of the Rodrigo Duterte administration”.
“President Marcos has a golden opportunity to get the Philippines on the right track by setting out clear priorities and policies to improve human rights in the country,” Robertson said in a statement.
The progressive Filipino lawyer Edre Olalia, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), in a forum that the human rights prospects under Marcos “quite candidly [do] not look good.”
Jairo Bolledo is a Rappler reporter. Republished with permission.
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
President Biden is back from his trip to Saudi Arabia, and it didn’t go at all as he had hoped. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: President Biden is back from his trip to Saudi Arabian and it didn’t go all […]
The post President Biden Shamed By Saudi Dictator appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire Network.
By Melisha Yafoi of the PNG Post-Courier
“It’s okay, we’ll just sit here and they can come kill us.”
These chilling words are from a defenceless woman (name withheld) who has seen first-hand the continuous killings in Papua New Guinea’s Porgera Valley, Enga province and accepting what could be the ultimate fate for her and her family.
Women and children in villages in that part of the country literally have nowhere to run since the killing spree has continued unabated in the gold valley, now tainted bloody and with ashes.
Attacks on villages in more than a year between warring clans of Nomali and Aiyala — not election related — can happen anywhere between 2 and 3 in the morning, and even during broad daylight.
There is nowhere safe, not even churches.
Police are outnumbered as the self-acclaimed thugs walk freely into villages and start firing indiscriminately with military grade weapons killing men, women, and children.
The hired guns are said to be there to make the kill and move on to the next victims.
Scared for their lives
The woman who spoke to the PNG Post-Courier said she and a large group of women and children were scared for their lives and the worry that it could be their last day to live.
“These warlords will walk into our villages destroying and burning down houses as early as 2am or 3am, even at dawn,” she said.
“We don’t sleep at night. All we do is pray to God for help. We don’t know where to go, we are helpless,” she said.
“My people fled the village and ran away. This week we heard that men were coming to attack us in the night.
“I did not know what to do so I just walked out onto the road and met some youths from my village, who told me plainly that there is nowhere for us to run too.
“So I said, ‘it’s okay let’s just sit here and if they come and kill us so be it’.”
She said mothers with children would have to run for their lives at any moment during the night to find the nearest hiding place for a few hours until dawn so they could look for a new place to go to within the besieged area.
No help in sight
This has been happening with no help in sight to address the tribal conflicts that have raged on long before this month’s general elections even surfaced.
With resources and concentration focused on the current polls taking place in the country, the self-proclaimed warlords have taken over the valley, raping women, killing people and burning down government and business properties.
Porgera has now turned into a killing field as public servants and those working in businesses in the valley have fled for their safety.
She said they had lost count of how many people had died.
“With the closure of Paiam Hospital, those who are injured very badly just sleep here under our watch, those in a critical condition will not make it,” she said.
“The roads out have been blocked, many have left with some more leaving but this does not stop the killing, every day we have a target on our backs,” she said.
Another community leader (name withheld) on the ground said the district needed a state of emergency declared.
21 killed by warlords
“Just today [Wednesday, July 20], a total of 21 people have been killed by unknown warlords. The victims are from Porgera, Tari and Kandep.
“Eight people were killed at Kanamanda Church area just next to Kia Kona at Paiam and a further seven were ambushed at Upper Maipagi, located at upper parts of Porgera station while they were looking for firewood in the bush,” he said.
“A young girl was killed among that 21 and others are fighting for their lives.
“It’s no more tribal conflict but a sort of genocide. Warlords hunting innocent lives even if they are not their enemies.
“This should have been prevented if the Defence Force deployed last month were not withdrawn straight after polling at Porgera.
“This time the government has failed us,” he said, clearly wondering whether their cries were being heard at all.
Melisha Yafoi is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
By Miriam Zarriga of the PNG Post-Courier
A brutal massacre in Porgera town yesterday afternoon in which 18 innocent people were killed has rocked Enga province and shocked Papua New Guinea.
Local police chief acting Superintendent George Kakas was shocked by the act of violence in the wake of the country’s national elections — he was left speechless when told by field officers about the killings.
Last night, caretaker Prime Minister James Marape said Porgera was now in a state of emergency.
“We have called out additional manpower from both the military and police, not just for Porgera but for other areas that need special assistance as well,” he said.
“We will beef up security as election requirements have diluted normal police work and the present killing is related to an ongoing tribal fight.”
In his policing career, Kakas has seen worse but yesterday’s act was one he thought was the work of a deranged mob who had no respect for the sanctity of life.
Of the 18 dead, 13 were men and 5 were women. They were going about their normal lives when men armed with machetes and axes hacked them to death.
Hour of wanton destruction
It was an hour of wanton destruction in which no one in the path of the rampaging tribesmen was spared, Kakas said.
Pictures of the dead posted online showed a trail of destruction with murderous intent. It seemed none of the dead had any chance of escaping.
In one picture, a woman clad in a PNG meri blouse lay next to a young girl, probably her daughter.
In another, a man and a woman lie side by side, having fallen where they were attacked.
The woman is on her knees, cowering in a foetal position, probably having begged for mercy — a futile attempt to evade the inevitable.
Men examining the scene looking for relatives were shown carrying bush knives and axes.
In turbulent Enga these are normal weapons.
Disputed gold mine
Porgera is the site of the disputed giant gold mine which has been closed for almost two years.
A violent tribal fight between the Aiyala and Nomali tribes has been raging, which has severely affected the elections in that part of the region.
The 18 deaths brings to 70 the number of people killed in Porgera in the past four months.
Although an emergency was declared in Porgera, the fighting between Aiyala and Nomali has continued, Superintendent Kakas said.
Security forces are present in Porgera Town. Together with local police, there are about 150 police and army personnel, however they are outnumbered by the tribal warriors, who are heavily armed.
“The 13 men and 5 women were killed in Paiam and Upper Porgera on Wednesday afternoon,” Kakas said.
Of the 18, five people were killed in Upper Porgera Station and 13 people killed at Paiam.
“Out of the 18 deaths, 3 men from Porgera town area were killed by Kandeps. This killing related to the ongoing tribal fight at Paiam has now escalated to Pogera Town.”
Troops moving in
“Police Commissioner David Manning said last night the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) contribution troops for the task force were in the process of moving into Enga.
“There is no SOE declared, 120 soldiers from the 2nd PIR Bravo Company were sent in yesterday afternoon. They are based in Wabag and once all logistics are in place, they will further deploy to the electorates of Porgera, Laiagam, and Kompiam and join their RPNGC MS counterparts who are currently on the ground.”
Manning said the task force had 60 days to restore the rule of law in the electorates, secure the mine and provide protection for repairs to be done on damaged bridges –– especially on the Wabag-Kompiam road.
“We received reports of continuous killings in Porgera that began over the weekend. Priority deployment is to the Porgera valley, to quell the fighting between the local Porgereans and settlers from other parts of Enga Province,” he said.
“We have received urgent pleas to also evacuate non-Engans who currently work up there — for them to be escorted to safety.
“The 3 meter wide, 4-5 meter deep trench that was dug across the Surinki stretch of Wabag-Porgera road is still undergoing repairs. However, a temporary bypass has been constructed to allow traffic.”
Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.
This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.
School shootings in America have now hit their highest numbers in over 20 years. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: School shootings in America have now hit their highest number in over 20 years. Wow, no surprise here. But this was […]
The post School Shootings Have Reached An All Time High appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
Criminal charges against the officials responsible for the Flint Water Crisis were thrown out by the Michigan Supreme Court last week. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: Criminal charges against the officials responsible for the Flint water crisis were thrown out […]
The post Dana Nessel’s Incompetence Allows Flint Water Criminals To Go Free appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.
The list of potential crimes committed by Donald Trump and his allies continues to rise, but announcing a presidential bid might scare prosecutors into NOT seeking charges against the former President. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins talks with Heather Digby Parton from Salon.com about how an announcement from Trump could put the brakes on an […]
The post Could A Presidential Announcement Save Trump From Prosecution? appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.
This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.
This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.
The Supreme Court has sided with doctors who over-prescribed opioid painkillers to their patients, basically running “pill mills” from their practices. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: The Supreme Court has sided with doctors over, who overprescribed opioid painkillers to their […]
The post Corrupt Supreme Court Sides With “Pill Mill” Doctors appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.
This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.
Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking and prostitution operation. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more.
The post Ghislaine Maxwell Still Won’t Release Names Of Epstein’s Accomplices appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.
America’s Lawyer E12: The Supreme Court of Michigan has thrown out criminal charges against government officials involved in the Flint Water Crisis, and we’ll explain why that happened. The US Supreme Court has sided with a group of doctors that over-prescribed painkillers, we’ll tell you all about that story. And a million voters have now […]
The post America’s Lawyer: Citizens Call For Supreme Court Term Limits appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.
This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk
Radio broadcaster Federico “Ding” Gempesaw has been shot and killed in broad daylight in front of his home in Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, reports the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
The IFJ and its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), condemn the murder and urge the local authorities to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice.
Gempesaw was a political commentator and host of the daily block-time programme Bitayan Sa Kahanginan, which aired on the local community radio network Radyo Natin.
According to the police report, two masked gunmen shot at Gempesaw on June 29. One of the perpetrators shot him at close range after Gempesaw stepped down from his taxi, which he owned and drove.
Although he was wounded, Gempesaw wrestled with one assailant before a second bullet hit his head. He died at the scene.
According to witnesses, the murderers fled on a motorcycle without a licence plate.
Gempesaw is the third radio broadcaster to be killed in Mindanao this year. In January, Jaynard Angeles, a station manager of Radyo Natin, was shot dead in Carmen, Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, by unidentified suspects.
On April 24, Jhannah Villegas was killed in the town of Datu Anggal Midtimbang, in Maguindanao province. Like Gempesaw, Villegas was also a block-time broadcaster on Radyo Ukay in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato.
Latest blow
The NUJP said Gempesaw’s murder is the latest blow to press freedom in the Philippines.
The term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who left office on June 30, has been characterised by attacks on the media, including the murder of journalists, blocking access to alternative media, and red-tagging.
The NUJP said: “The brutal murder of Gempesaw has no place in a democratic society, and we demand that the police leave no stone unturned and bring the perpetrators, as well as the mastermind, to justice.”
IFJ general secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: “The IFJ condemns the killing of Federico Gempesaw. The authorities must take immediate action to investigate the murder and bring those responsible to justice. We also urge the government of the Philippines to take the strongest efforts to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers.”
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby
A man was held by Papua New Guinean security personnel in Hela Province on Saturday after he was found to have in his possession K1.56 million (about NZ$715,000) in cash carried in a suitcase.
The man, who police identified as a local, allegedly told security personnel that the money was “to fund the polling”.
Papua New Guinea’s general election begins today.
However, when he was questioned further, he recanted his initial statement and said the cash was “for his company”.
Police Commissioner David Manning said that investigations continue into the cash possession and what it was meant for.
Security sources said they were tipped off about the cash in the flight for Komo.
About 30 men disembarked and were searched by security personnel.
Clutching a suitcase
During the search, security personnel noticed the suspect clutching a suitcase as hand luggage.
When security personnel opened the suitcase, they found the bundles of cash in K50, K100 and K20 notes.
They took the suspect to Komo police station and then transferred with the cash to Tari police station.
It is expected he will be taken to Mt Hagen where he will be charged by police.
Police will continue their investigations.
Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.