PNG Police Commissioner expressed shock and anger over alarming increase in police brutality cases

PNG Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga 

Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga has expressed shock and anger at reports of an alarming increase in police brutality cases.

The latest is a report of policemen cutting and wounding a number of persons with bush knives in Port Moresby.

The incident happened following an ethnic clash at the 8 Mile settlement over the weekend.

A relative of the victims told NBC News, his relatives were forced to lie on the ground after they were stripped off their personal properties while policemen cut their archilles tendons with the knives they were carrying.

Commissioner Kulunga demands that the incident be confirmed, and that the responsible officers be charged and locked up before 12 noon today.

Mr Kulunga says his warning stands that there is no place for animalistic behaviour within the Constabulary adding that he needs public help to weed out corrupt and abusive officers.

The recently launched Police Modernisation Program is also designed for police to change their mindset and attitude into one of respect and service to the people.

The incident involved a group of men from Morobe.

A relative told NBC News, they were returning from a mediation over an incident on Sunday when they were stopped by a police vehicle and attacked with knives.

"Ol polis i bin ikam na tokim ol long sanap, sanap nau ol tokim ol long seranda den ol harim tok blo polis na ol bin seranda. Then ol polis orderim ol long silip igo daun long graun facim graun. Ol facim graun silip stap em ol wok long commitim head blo ol, kisim olgeta mobile blo ol, face guard blong ol, moni blo ol, ID card blo wok. Ol then askim ken long pin numba blong displa ol card yah, ol no givim so ol ordarim ol yet long silip long ground then ol rausim dispela ol knives ya ol i bin kisim olsem security blong ol. Ol kisim dispela ol knives na ol wok long start knaifim ol nau, katim olgeta join blong ol long left leg. sampla lo left sampla long right, head blong ol, body na olgeta parts blo ol."

An ethnic clash broke out between the Morobes and Sepiks, leaving houses burnt and properties destroyed, following the stabbing death of a man from Morobe on Saturday by four drunks of East Sepik origin.

Police have since been patrolling the area, to prevent further sporadic clashes.