SYDNEY, Australia – A court in Papua New Guinea has granted an injunction preventing students from protesting on campus with the country on high alert Thursday, June 9, after violent clashes in the capital Port Moresby.
The sprawling Pacific nation, where crime and lawlessness is rampant, was rocked on Wednesday, June 8, when police opened fire on students preparing to rally against Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is being investigated for corruption.
Casualty reports vary, with Police Commissioner Gari Baki saying 23 people were hurt and five were critical. Amnesty International said it had information that 38 people were injured and blasted the shootings as "disgraceful".
According to the PNG Post Courier on Thursday, of the 5 in critical condition one was shot in the head with another taking a bullet in the chest. Others admitted to hospital were treated for minor injuries and released, it added.
Witnesses said the clashes broke out as students readied to march from the University of Papua New Guinea to parliament and that police used tear gas and then opened fire in a bid to herd them back onto campus.
Students have been locked in a month-long standoff with authorities in the impoverished nation, north of Australia, and have boycotted classes as they demand O'Neill step aside over corruption allegations he denies.
O'Neill blamed "political agitators" for stirring the unrest and the National Court granted an order against members of the university's student council, restraining them from organizing protests and from preventing students attending classes.
"The overwhelming majority of students simply want to go to class, sit their exams and proceed to the next semester," Education Minister Malakai Tabar said after the injunction late Wednesday.
"Hard working students have been held hostage by the people with political agendas and that has now been brought to an end by court order.
"We all know that the real ringleaders behind the incident are not students, and now it will be hard for them to hide amongst the student body."
Baki said an investigation was being conducted into the shootings and that all available police manpower would be on the streets Thursday to ensure peace and order.
"Police in the city and around the country will come down hard on any opportunists who want to cause trouble," he said.
O'Neill has been wanted for questioning by anti-corruption police for the past two years but has refused to comply with a warrant for his arrest.
Police are investigating whether he authorized millions of dollars in illegal payments from the government to Paraka Lawyers, one of the nation's largest law firms.
When the arrest warrant was issued in 2014, O'Neill sacked the PNG police commissioner, fired his attorney-general and suspended numerous other justice department and police officials.
He also moved to disband the anti-corruption watchdog. – Rappler.com