Cut out senseless violence, say police

A PROVINCIAL police commander has told Papua New Guineans not to go out and kill themselves, or get killed on State of Origin night.
Eastern Highlands commander Supt Michael Welly said on the eve of the Australian Rugby League state challenge: “Blues and Maroons players in Australia do not know you, whether you support them or not or even want to know whether you die in their names or not.
“Stop provoking each other by supporting Australian teams playing on Australian soil.
“These players do not know about your existence. If you fight and die, neither the Maroons nor the Blues players nor their coaches will contribute towards your funeral nor will they attend your funeral. They don’t even know your problems.
“It’s really funny. Let’s stop and use our common sense and get our acts right,” Welly said in his appeal for calm, peace and order tonight in State of Origin game number two.
For this top cop in Eastern Highlands, “Papua New Guineans should support their local Digicel ExxonMobil Cup teams such as Lahanis, Mioks, Gurias, Vipers, Gulf Isou, Waghi Tumbe, Gurias and Snax Tigers”.
Supt Welly’s comments were made in light of the ruthless killing of a young man and damage to properties resulting from an Origin one incident on June 6.
He identified the deceased as 22-year-old Levi Hakipo of Kotuni village in Goroka.
Hapiko had travelled all the way to Kafuku village in search of a television to watch the game.
He was later found dead in the area after a game-related fight that evening.
Relatives and tribesmen of the deceased retaliated and burnt 40 houses and one 15-seater PMV bus.
Supt Welly said police have arrested and charged two suspects in relation to the killing.
Police investigations were continuing.
“This was unnecessary loss of life and properties,” Supt Welly said.
He said supporting the Maroons and Blues was okay, “but doing so under the influence of alcohol and taking things too personal can also be provocative resulting in unnecessary confrontations.
“Here, we have a young man who has years of living left in him but he was killed, and millions of kina worth of properties destroyed in fires.
“All because of carelessness and madness over the State of Origin games.”
He urged community and church leaders and village elders to control and manage youths during Origin game two tonight.
In the eighties, also in Goroka, a husband angry that his Origin team had lost, booted his wife in the chest leading to her death.
Ex-policeman Joe Bulage, who took carriage of the matter, said he arrested the husband, who was later sentenced to 15 years in jail with hard labour.
Kafuku village community leader Peter Pake told The National yesterday they would discourage people from gathering at a location to watch the State of Origin game two.
“Community leaders are going to check every corner of the village and will not to allow groups to gather together in one location to watch,” Pake said.