Police have confirmed that 23 students were injured today as a result of the confrontation between them and students of the University of Papua New Guinea.
Four of those students were critically injured, most received injuries as a result of the stampede from the main road at the University while most received injuries from the tear gas fired.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki said there were no students killed as a result of the confrontation.
Speaking to the media in a press conference this afternoon, Baki said: “It is unfortunate that this has happened.
“Yes, there are students being injured. I cannot confirm whether there are firearms injuries because I need to see the report that resulted in the injuries, from the medical reports from the hospital.
“At this point in time, it would be premature for me to say that the injuries are a result of the police directly firing at the students,” Baki said.
He said what had transpired this morning, is that students came out of the university campus, “and they were on the public domain.”
“When they are told to go back to the university campus, they refused to do so; which resulted in the confrontation between the police and the university students.
“Had they remained in the campus, it would not happen. They came out on the streets, on the road as a result and the police performed their duties resulting in the students being injured in the course of this incident,” said the Police Commissioner.
Police will be conducting their own investigation into the incident and the Assistant Police Commissioner of Crimes, Victor Isouve has been instructed by Commissioner Baki to go to the hospitals and collect details of injuries students sustained.
“I am not protecting the actions of my men. What I am saying here is this, if there are students injured, the police have a process involved in any incident that resulted in injuries that may be sustained,” Baki said.
(An injured student arriving by ambulance at the Port Moresby General Hospital emergency section today.)