The closure of the Chinese shops in Madang Province have affected local people in the province who were planning to buy things during the long weekend.
Trade storeowners who travelled as far as Bogia and Simbai were left in confusion when they arrived at Madang town yesterday only to find out that all the shops were closed.
The only shops that were open we Papindo' Anderson's Supermarket and Yogo Trading. The shops were packed with people who did their shopping from that shops due to the murder of a Chinese businessman.
Sedrick Wadah who travelled from Bogia to Madang to buy his store goods for his trade store said what the criminals had done to the Chinese man had now cost the livelihood of Madang people who buy things from the Chinese shops.
He said he had spend K30 to travel from Bogia to Madang and for him to go back without anything is a loss for him. Wadah said the town looked different compared to the past and for him was the first of its kind.
Esther Samson, a mother who travelled into town from Balama in the Transgogol area said all the shops were closed and those shops that were opened were expensive for them to buy stuf. She said the Chinese shops were selling things that were affordable to locals.
Esther said she also came to buy goods for her canteen but would not do that because the shops that they used to buy their goods were closed. She said law and order in Madang is deteriorating.
As a mother from Madang I don’t feel safe in my own home town because of how the a criminals are behaving. The leaders of this province, the police and everyone must work together to address the increasing crime rate.
Madang Chinese Community President, Peter Sun who spoke on behalf of the Chinese community and the family of the deceased,Weng Yanquing, appealed to the police to arrest the suspects involved and have them face the law.
He said the shops in Madang will be closed for three days and will open on Tuesday to show their respect to their countryman and to pay respect to the first anniversary of the founding Father of the nation, late Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.
The outgoing Madang police commander acting Supt Mazuc Rubiang who who was on the ground assured the Chinese community that police investigation had started.
He said arrest would be made soon because the suspects are from Madang.