Chao Xiaoliang, political counselor of Chinese Embassy to PNG, said Tuesday local police forces were sent to patrol in major areas in the capital while outer regions in PNG are currently running out of police forces.
Security is largely unstable across the country especially in Highlands regions, said Chao, Chinese store owners in the region fear for more looting.
Bobi Chen, chief of Goroka Sino-PNG friendly association, told Xinhua,
“Goroka was a chaos in last Sunday’s looting of Asia-run stores,” he said, “Some trouble makers throw stones to shut down Chinese stores and others broke in by force to loot foods.”
“We are very much concerned of the safety situation these days,” said Chen who is living with his brother in Goroka, “Our kids cannot go to school and some Chinese were stranded in the store for hours until police came.”
Yu Pan, vice president of Sino-PNG friendly association, told Xinhua, such hostile sentiment of local people are targeted on Asia-run stores rather than merely Chinese stores.
Pan said the main reason underlying the looting and turmoil starting from last week is that the price of daily necessities in PNG has been surging since last year while income of local people stand still.
“Papua New Guineans falsely blame Asia-run stores for the rise of prices in foods,” Pan said. “While the truth is that commodity supply were mostly under control of Western white people, as a result of which, Asian stores have to add more prices.”
Pan said Chinese people are recognized as hard-working in PNG, they start business early every morning and are willing to do any kinds of small and not-so-easy business. But local people said the Chinese has taken their job opportunities.
All the Chinese people in PNG have been advised not to go out at the moment and some Chinese business outside Port Moresby are requested to shut down.
PNG government has promised to safeguard life and property of local Chinese and police has been sent to patrol around Chinese stores in case of further looting by would-be looters on streets.
The Chinese Embassy has established a green channel with Chinese community in PNG via phones and by means of Chinese associations across the country.
