Ethnic violence in Papua New Guinea

Last updated

Ethnic violence in Papua New Guinea often revolves around inter-tribal warfare.

Contents

Background

Clans and tribes in New Guinea have fought each other for centuries over various disputes such as land. In more recent times, elections have been a trigger for violence, with tribes aligned down local candidate and party lines. [1] Traditionally the man who initially has the grievance is considered 'the owner of the fight' (or an elder male on behalf of a woman with the grievance) and is responsible for commencing and ending the fight. His clan is expected to support him. Traditional elders and leaders used to have a more stabilizing effect, but their influence has been diminished in recent times as traditional tribal structures have been changing. For example, fights have recently[ when? ] been started by youths against the advice of older clansmen and 'the owner of the fight', whose preference has been for mediation. [2]

Customary rules of war exist. The most consistent rule has been the concept of neutrality, where participants should not attack neutral buildings or people. There are only limited means of enforcing such rules, which are usually passed from father to son or during clan meetings. Older community members feel younger generations do not respect these customs. While bow and arrows have been the staple weapon for centuries, the recent introduction of automatic firearms have led to more tragic outcomes. [2]

In 2023, reports indicated that drones have been employed in tribal warfare. [3]

Islands region

Bougainville

During the Bougainville conflict, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army under Francis Ona fought for secession for Bougainville from Papua New Guinea. Copper mines discovered on Bougainville Island became a major source of revenue for Papua New Guinea. The vast majority of mine workers were from the mainland and the mine was causing environmental damage, leading to tensions. The people of the islands of Bougainville felt a greater cultural and geographical connection to the rest of the Solomon Archipelago, such as the nation of Solomon Islands, than they did to mainland Papua New Guinea. [4] The natives saw themselves as "black-skins" and migrants from the mainland as "red-skins". [5] In the 2019 Bougainvillean independence referendum, voters voted for independence and the PNG government agreed to give independence to Bougainville in 2027. [6]

Trobiand Islands

In the Trobriand Islands, intertribal warfare was banned during Australian colonial rule and disputes were settled with games of cricket and this often continued after independence. [7] In Kiriwina Island, in 2022, more than 30 people were killed in clashes between the Kulumata and Kuboma. [8]

Highlands region

Highlands conflict
Date2021 – present
Location
Enga Province, Highlands Region, Papua New Guinea
Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Yalingin tribe Yambalekin tribe
Casualties and losses
284 dead, 119,000 displaced

In 2021, approximately 30,000 people were displaced by tribal violence around the Highlands region. [2] In Enga Province, fighting between the Yalingin tribe and the Yambalekin tribe that costs the lives of 80 people and began the year prior ended in a peaceful settlement. [9] In the 2022 national election about 89,000 people were displaced nationwide, with most being from the Highlands region. [1] In 2023 in Enga province, up to 150 people were killed during an outbreak of violence [10] and in 2024, 54 people were killed in an ambush. [11]

Urban areas

In urban areas such as the capital Port Moresby ethnic conflict has included violence between gangs known as Raskols that are associated with different tribes. In Port Moresby the “Kips Kaboni” gang of the local Motu people were involved in attacking residents and gangs of the migrant Tari highlanders. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papua New Guinea</span> Country in Oceania

Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and its offshore islands in Melanesia. It shares its only land border with Indonesia to the west and its other close neighbours are Australia to the south and the Solomon Islands to the east. Its capital, located on its southern coast, is Port Moresby. The country is the world's third largest island country, with an area of 462,840 km2 (178,700 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Papua New Guinea</span>

The prehistory of Papua New Guinea can be traced to about 50,000–60,000 years ago, when people first migrated towards the Australian continent. The written history began when European navigators first sighted New Guinea in the early part of the 17th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autonomous Region of Bougainville</span> Autonomous region of Papua New Guinea

Bougainville, officially the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea. The largest island is Bougainville Island, while the region also includes Buka Island and a number of outlying islands and atolls. The current capital is Buka, situated on Buka Island.

The Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) was a secessionist group formed in 1988 by Bougainvilleans seeking independence from Papua New Guinea (PNG). The leader of the BRA was Francis Ona who led the BRA against the Papua New Guinea Defence Force during the violent 10 year conflict. Not all BRA members agreed to the Peace Treaty and boycotted it, and have held out in an official no-go zone, protected by members of the Meekamui Defence Force, currently commanded by Moses Pepino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provinces of Papua New Guinea</span>

For administrative purposes, Papua New Guinea is divided into administrative divisions called provinces. There are 22 provincial-level divisions, which include 20 provinces, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and the National Capital District of Port Moresby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bougainville</span> Bougainville, region in Papua New Guinea

Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea (PNG), has been inhabited by humans for at least 29,000 years, according to artefacts found in Kilu Cave on Buka Island. The region is named after Bougainville Island, the largest island of the Solomon Islands archipelago, but also contains a number of smaller islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enga Province</span> Province in Papua New Guinea

Enga is one of the provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Enga is geographically situated in the northern region of Papua New Guinea and was separated from the adjacent Western Highlands at the time of national independence in 1975. The majority ethnic group are Engans. Approximately 500,000 people live within the province, which has one spoken language in all five of its districts. A small minority of Engans' land on the eastern side of the region remained in the Western Highlands, their territory being accessible by road from Mount Hagen but not directly from elsewhere in Enga territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Highlands Province</span> Province in Papua New Guinea

Southern Highlands is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its provincial capital is the town of Mendi. According to Papua New Guinea's national 2021 census, the total population of Southern Highlands province is 927,306.

Francis Ona was the Supreme Commander of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) during the 1988–1998 Bougainville conflict. The war began when Ona "went bush" and began organising acts of industrial sabotage against the Panguna mine, which he felt was causing environmental devastation and was not fairly compensating the traditional landowners, himself included. His followers' motives varied. The war killed thousands of Bougainvilleans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Guinea Highlands</span> Natural region in New Guinea

The New Guinea Highlands, also known as the Central Range or Central Cordillera, is a long chain of mountain ranges on the island of New Guinea, including the island's highest peak, Puncak Jaya, Indonesia, 16,024 ft (4,884 m), the highest mountain in Oceania. The range is home to many intermountain river valleys, many of which support thriving agricultural communities. The highlands run generally east-west the length of the island, which is divided politically between Indonesia in the west and Papua New Guinea in the east. These mountains stretch from the Weyland Mountains starting in Wondama Bay Regency in the west to the Milne Bay Province in the east.

Noah Musingku is a Bougainvillean conman. In the late 1990s, he created a highly successful Ponzi scheme called U-Vistract. Facing prosecution from Papua New Guinean authorities, Musingku fled to the Solomon Islands in 2002. He returned to Bougainville and holed up with Francis Ona, the secessionist leader. While Bougainville is administered by the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), Ona claimed that Bougainville, which he called Me'ekamui, was already an independent state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Papua New Guinean general election</span>

General elections were held in Papua New Guinea from 23 June until around 13 July 2012, after being postponed by a further week to allow for security personnel to crisscross the country, particularly the highland provinces. The elections followed controversy over incomplete electoral rolls and a constitutional crisis caused by a dispute over the office of prime minister between Michael Somare and Peter O'Neill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bougainville conflict</span> 1988–1998 armed conflict in Papua New Guinea

The Bougainville conflict, also known as the Bougainville Civil War, was a multi-layered armed conflict fought from 1988 to 1998 in the North Solomons Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) between PNG and the secessionist forces of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), and between the BRA and other armed groups on Bougainville. The conflict was described by Bougainvillean President John Momis as the largest conflict in Oceania since the end of World War II in 1945, with an estimated 15,000–20,000 Bougainvilleans dead, although lower estimates place the toll at around 1,000–2,000.

The National Broadcasting Corporation of Papua New Guinea (NBC PNG) is Papua New Guinea's state owned broadcaster. Its head office is in Boroko, Port Moresby, and has approximately 20 locations around the country. It operates two national radio stations – NBC Radio (90.7 FM) which also broadcasts on the AM Frequency 585 MHz with Tribe 92FM (92.3FM) – and one television station NBC TV (formerly Kundu 2 and National Television Service).

The 2019 Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited National Soccer League, was the 13th edition of Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, the top-tier football league in Papua New Guinea. It started on 26 January 2019. Toti City F.C. were the defending champions.

Events in the year 2021 in Papua New Guinea.

Mary Kini is a human rights and peace activist in Papua New Guinea (PNG). She is a co-founder and the coordinator of Kup Women for Peace, an organization of women dedicated to addressing the problem of tribal fights in the Kup area of PNG.

Paul Pora Schmidt was a Papua New Guinean businessman and politician who served as minister of finance between 1988 and 1992.

Events in the year 2024 in Papua New Guinea.

The February 2024 Enga Province massacre occurred on 18 February, 2024, where dozens of people were shot and 44 killed in a tribal dispute in Wapenamanda District, Enga Province, the remote highlands region of Papua New Guinea. Casualties numbered at least 49, including both combatants and bystanders.

References

  1. 1 2 Whiting, Natalie (2 May 2023). "Tribal fighting over PNG election leaves dozens dead and villages deserted". Australian Broadcasting Cooperation.
  2. 1 2 3 "Tribal violence in Papua New Guinea". Red Cross. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Papua New Guinea's tribal wars see bows and arrows give way to drones and firearms". Le Monde.fr. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  4. ↑ "Francis Ona". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  5. ↑ O'Callaghan, Mary-Louise (2002). "The origins of the conflict". Conciliation Resources. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "PNG, B'ville agree on latter's independence". Post Courier. 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  7. ↑ Francis, Chantelle (25 October 2022). "Massacre on Papua New Guinea's 'island of love' after tribal warfare". news.com.au.
  8. ↑ Kuku, Rebecca (25 October 2022). "More than 30 dead in tribal fighting on Papua New Guinea's 'island of love'". The Guardian.
  9. ↑ Lari, Elias (10 March 2021). "Warring tribes makes peace after fight claimed about 80 lives". The National.
  10. ↑ Harriman, Bethanie (28 August 2023). "Papua New Guinea killings: what's behind the outbreak in tribal fighting?". The Guardian.
  11. ↑ Harriman, Bethanie (18 February 2024). "Dozens killed in outbreak of tribal violence in Papua New Guinea highlands". The Guardian.
  12. ↑ Bayley, Bruno (24 August 2012). "Street Gangs in Papua New Guinea Look Terrifying". Vice.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.