Melbourne (Australia): The brutal killing of 26 villagers in Papua New Guinea has created a stir. United Nations and police officials say that this incident has happened in the northern part of Papua New Guinea, where at least 26 people are reported to have been killed by a gang in three remote villages. James Baugen, the acting provincial police commander of the East Sepik province of the South Pacific island nation, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Friday, “The incident was very horrific…, when I reached the spot, I saw that the bodies of children, men and women were lying there.
It is being told that all these villagers were killed by a group of 30 youths. Baugen told ABC that all the houses in the villages have been burnt and the remaining villagers have taken refuge in the police station. According to Baugen, the villagers are afraid to even reveal the names of the attackers. He said, “At night, some of the bodies were eaten by crocodiles in the nearby swamp. We only saw the place where they were killed. People were beheaded.” Baugen said that the attackers have gone into hiding and no arrests have been made yet.
16 children among the dead
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk said in an official statement on Wednesday that the attacks took place on July 16 and July 18. He said, “I am horrified by the sudden outbreak of deadly violence in Papua New Guinea. This violence appears to be the result of a dispute over the ownership and use of land and lake.” Turk said that at least 26 people are reported to have been killed, including 16 children. He said, “This number may increase to more than 50 as local officials are searching for the missing people. Apart from this, more than 200 villagers have moved elsewhere due to burning of houses.
