The United Nations said, 26 people, including 16 children, have been killed in violent attacks on three remote villages in northern Papua New Guinea. Many residents of the villages were forced to flee after the attackers set fire to their homes. UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement on Wednesday, I am horrified by the shocking outbreak of deadly violence in Papua New Guinea. News from bdnews.
Apparently it was the result of a dispute over the ownership and enjoyment of land and lakes. PNG authorities are searching for the missing people, he said, The death toll may rise to over 50.
Reuters reports, The attacks took place on July 16 and 18 in PNG’s East Sepik province. More than two hundred residents of the villages were forced to flee after their houses were burnt. Neighboring Indonesia and Australia, Papua New Guinea is home to hundreds of ethnic and linguistic communities. There is a long history of fighting between these communities. Villagers have started using military rifles instead of bows and arrows in the last decade, The violence has become more severe and the electoral system has deepened existing ethnic divisions. At least eight people were killed and 30 houses burned during one such fight in Nga province in May. Earlier in February, at least 26 men were killed in a ambush in the same area.
Source: dainikazadi.net
