By Sarah C. LaBelle
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

PORT MORESBY, Paupa New Guinea – Assassination threats against Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare are being investigated by police and security has been elevated around his residences.  These threats came at a time when various NGO members had planned a protest at parliament to petitioning for Somare to step down over the Moti affair.

[For more on the Moti affair and Somare’s involvement, see the Impunity Watchreports on Somare’s involvement in Moti’s escape to the Solomon Islands, themissing inquiry documents, court refusal to repress the inquiry report, and the defense minister’s recent finding that the inquiry was illegal.]

There have also been threats against senior elected leaders of parliament.  Police Commissioner Gari Baki confirmed the threats and that police are taking action, but he did not comment on where the threats were coming from.  Police have increased street patrols, particularly around bus stops and markets, and police and Defense intelligence are conducting surveillance.  Baki said of the threats, “It’s uncalled for, it’s unheard of in Papua New Guinea anyway, that we adopt those kinds of principles of terror operations.”

The protest planning was stopped after police said that they had linked the assassination threats to the march.  Protest leaders say that heavy rain and their inability to collect the requisite fifty thousand signatures were secondary reasons the march was cancelled.  They reiterated that they only wanted their grievances heard, and that they cancelled out of respect for the parliamentary budget session.

Some who were planning to protest claim that their freedom of expression is being infringed upon.  Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta released a statement saying that while the police do have the ability to stop the march under their constitutional responsibility to protect people and property, they should not prevent citizens from expressing themselves.  He also stated that he does not believe in mob rule or street protests.

For more information, please see:

The National – Threats to PM – 15 November 2007

The Australian – ‘Plot to kill’ PNG leader – 15 November 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Police stop planned protest against PNG PM – 15 November 2007

Islands Business – Police investigate threats of kill plot against PM Somare – 15 November 2007