Papua New Guinea’s leader declares a state of emergency after violent riots

Papua New Guinea’s prime minister declared a state of emergency in the capital Port Moresby on Thursday and suspended the Pacific island’s chief of police after violent protests left the city shaken.

The unrest began on Wednesday after police, defense officials and other civil servants appeared to quit their jobs in protest over what they said was an unexpected pay cut. The government blamed a computer problem and promised to solve the problem, but the situation in Port Moresby quickly changed.

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 have not released official figures.

The violence took place against the backdrop of high unemployment and rising costs of living in the country of about 10 million people.

About 1,000 special forces were on standby to prevent further unrest, Prime Minister James Marape said at a news conference on Thursday as he announced an investigation into the crisis. In addition to David Manning, the police commissioner, Mr Marape has also suspended the heads of the government’s treasury, treasury and human resources departments.

There were signs that authorities had been able to regain some control, the US embassy in Port Moresby said in a statement rack Thursday that the police and army had returned to work. “But,” it added, “tensions remain high – the relative calm could change in an instant.”

Mr Marape, who has pushed for closer ties with the United States and Australia while also nurturing economic ties with China, suggested the unrest had been orchestrated by his political opponents.

“You want to change the government, change it on the floor of parliament,” he said. “I do not use my people to create lawlessness and recklessness.”