Sydney (AFP) – Police in Papua New Guinea opened fire on students protesting against the prime minister Wednesday, with reports that up to eight were injured, three seriously.
Students have been locked in a month-long standoff with authorities and have been boycotting classes as they call for Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to step aside over corruption allegations.
Local media said the clashes in the capital Port Moresby broke out as students prepared to march from the University of PNG to parliament, where O’Neill was due to face a no confidence vote.
“They fired shots, they fired shots directly at the crowd,” student Gerald Peni told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Many of the students they fell, they got injured, we don’t know how many casualties we may have at the moment.”
PNG broadcaster EMTV said on its Twitter feed that doctors had confirmed eight students were admitted to hospital, with three in critical condition, as large crowds massed outside the Port Moresby Hospital.
“Students began gathering early this morning for a march planned to coincide with the opposition’s move to push for a vote of no confidence,” it said.
“Outside the university grounds, they were confronted by dozens of armed police.”
Police in Port Moresby told AFP they were unable to confirm or deny the claims.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she had been in touch with her high commissioner in Port Moresby who confirmed students had been shot.
“We are still seeking to determine the actual outcome — I know students have been shot but we are still trying to determine whether there have been deaths and how many have been injured,” she told reporters.
“We call on all sides for calm to de-escalate the tensions and certainly call on all sides to respect the peaceful and lawful right to protest. We will be monitoring the situation closely.”
She added that she would call her PNG counterpart as soon as possible.
O’Neill has been wanted for questioning by anti-corruption police for two years, but has so far refused to comply with a warrant for his arrest and avoided the issue through a series of court orders.
Police are investigating whether he authorised millions of dollars in illegal payments from the government to Paraka Lawyers, one of the Pacific nation’s largest law firms.
It is alleged the firm submitted fraudulent bills for legal work performed for the state and O’Neill willingly paid up.
In response to the arrest warrant in 2014, O’Neill sacked the PNG police commissioner, fired his attorney-general and suspended numerous other justice department and police officials.
He also disbanded the country’s anti-corruption watchdog.
O’Neil last month published a lengthy letter responding to the students’ concerns, suggesting the corruption allegations were politically-motivated.
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