Goroka violence was inter-tribal clash

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The University of Goroka campus is now almost deserted as most of the Highlands students have gone back to their respective provinces following Tuesday’s clash among student factions

The University of Goroka Student Representative Council says the fighting was not related to the nationwide unrest.

SRC representative Lawrence Anton said the incident at Goroka campus was not connected to the shooting of students at University of Papua New Guinea or the student boycott.

He said drunken students from Eastern Highlands and Chimbu instigated the problem.

He said the clash erupted when drunken students from Eastern Highlands and Chimbu attacked a Western Highlands student.

“Engans, mostly student leaders, intervened to stop the fight but were also attacked.

He said that the locals came in to aid the Eastern Highlands and Chimbu students and which led to a riot in the campus resulting in many students being injured.

“The locals later came in with weapons including bows and arrows, guns, spears, shields and bush knives and attacked Enga, Western Highlands, Jiwaka, Southern Highlands and Hela students,” he said.

SRC Vice President Mark Kapa said it was a plan attacked by locals and students from Chimbu and Goroka.

He requested Enga provincial government with other provincial government’s whose students were injured to hold an independent investigation into the incident.

Movements in and out of the campus are being strictly monitored by police, the UOG’s security force and private security guards.

- Post-Courier