2016 UPNG Boycott

The matter was called twice at 3.30pm and later at 4pm, however, the lawyer for the plaintiff was not present in court.

Justice David Cannings adjourned the trial to this Friday at 9.30am. He said the matter was put forward as an urgent application last Wednesday with expedited directions for a trial to be conducted today.

Lawyers for the state, UPNG registrar Jennifer Popat and the university administration were present in court today.

Speaking to the media outside the Waigani Court house, Laken Lepatu Aigilo said: “Let me put to the nation that this does not mean that the fight is over. We will look into other means if it means to draft separate proceedings, we will do so. We will look into how we can seek justice.”

He made these statements after the National Court refused orders from a human rights case that was moved this morning.

Muddle, in a statement, said these male students were wounded by gunshots following a clash between students and police on Wednesday at UPNG’s main Waigani campus.

The three students are recovering at the surgical (intensive care unit) 2C ward under close supervision of doctors and nurses; while the primary school student admitted in the ward was scheduled to undergo surgery on his right foot yesterday.

Muddle emphasised that there are no deaths of students after the alleged police shooting at the campus.

Rapa was referring to the CoI that the Government plans to carry out to find out the reason behind the students’ prolonged unrest as well as their financiers.

“On behalf of the UPNG students, I embrace the decision of the Government to form a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the issue,” he said in a statement. However, they will only accept the decision on the following terms:

Almost 90 percent of the student body had left while only a few remained. Less than 15 female students had spent the night on campus. Uniforce guards locked the gate to the senior female’s hall of residence at 8pm, when the gate normally shuts at 11pm.

The police had exited the main campus by 6.30pm.

Apart from the occasional sound of the guards’ vehicles patrolling the campus until daybreak, all was deathly quiet.

“I didn’t sleep well last night. I was too scared,” a female student told Loop PNG. “One small sound would jolt me awake.”

Justice Collin Makail granted the order at 3:45pm today. This temporary stay will be in place until next week Wednesday (June 1) where parties will return to court.  

The students moved the urgent application filed this morning seeking to stay the decision of the University counsel dated May 24 when it suspended Semester One and ordered students to vacate campus within 48 hours. This 48 hour ultimatum ended at 3pm today.

NCD metropolitan superintendent Ben Turi told Loop PNG: “We will stay until we get our orders to go out. “We will be here until everything is calm. If they’re doing mass withdrawal, we will stay until everybody is out.”

Student leader Christopher Kipalan said this afternoon during their forum that apart from the delegates, they are also expecting outsiders, concerned citizens, to attend the event.

“Because this country not only belongs to the 5000 students of UPNG but also the 8 million people of Papua New Guinea.

“The entire field is reserved for the general public while students will sit at the Forum Square, dressed in black.”

All entrances to the main Waigani campus will be closed and guarded by police, Uniforce and students, except for the main gate.

“A police officer put a gun to my head when I hesitated to let them in,” a guard, who did not want to be named, told Loop PNG.

Students manning the main barricade leading to the campus claimed the convoy of vehicles rammed the blockade.

However, some of the police personnel said they are acting under orders.

They said they woke up as early as 3am to organise themselves.

They feel for the students but they have no choice.

“We will stay as long as our bosses want us to,” an officer said.

The majority of them are at the Forum Square in their black outfits.