by Papua New Guinea’s prime minister declared a two-week state of emergency in the capital Port Moresby on Thursday and suspended the Pacific island nation’s police chief after violent protests left the city shaken.
The unrest began on Wednesday after police, defense officers and other public servants appeared to walk off the job to protest what they said was an unexpected pay cut. The government attributed the error to a computer glitch and promised to fix the problem, but the situation in Port Moresby evolved rapidly.
More than a dozen shops were set on fire and there were reports of widespread looting as the unrest continued into the night. There were also reports of fatalities in Port Moresby, the capital, and Lae, the country’s second largest city, but authorities did not release official figures.
The violence occurred against a backdrop of high unemployment and a rising cost of living in the country of about 10 million people.
About 1,000 special forces soldiers were on alert to prevent further unrest, Prime Minister James Marape said during a news conference on Thursday, announcing an investigation into the crisis. In addition to David Manning, the police commissioner, Marape also suspended the heads of the government’s finance, treasury and personnel management departments.
There were signs that authorities had been able to regain some control, as the US embassy in Port Moresby said in a statement Thursday that police and defense forces had returned to work. “However,” she added, “tensions remain high; the relative calm can change at any time.”
Marape, who has pushed for closer ties with the United States and Australia while maintaining economic ties with China, suggested the unrest had been orchestrated by his political opponents.
“If you want to change the government, change it in the plenary session of Parliament,” he said. “Do not use my people to create anarchy and recklessness.”
