Gov’t yet to decide; Students remain in troubled PNG
The Government is yet to decide whether to bring back our students from the troubles in Papua New Guinea.
Any decision on that will be based on the operational status of the universities that its students participated in the protests there.
Following last Wednesday’s police firing at protesting students, Solomon Islands students studying at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) urged the government to bring them home.
They say it was traumatic watching police opened fire on their protesting PNG university mates.
The government responded by evacuating the students from UPNG campus and putting them in a Port Moresby hotel.
Solomon Islands High Commissioner to PNG Barnabas Anga said he’s still waiting on UPNG, Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UNITECH) and University of Goroka to inform him about their operational status for this semester.
Anga said 125 local students are studying at the three universities – 43 are at the UPNG Waigani Campus, 18 at the UPNG Taurama Campus, 35 at the UNITECH and 29 at the University of Goroka.
Classes at these institutions have been disrupted due to the ongoing protests by students, calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to step down amidst allegations of corruption.
Anga said these universities will be advising their stakeholders, partners, students and the public of their plans to conclude and manage semester one and two in due course.
“It will become clearer to determine the operational status of these institutions for the remaining part of the first semester and the rest of the 2016 Academic Year after next Tuesday, 14th June,” Anga said.
He said remaining local students at UPNG Taurama Campus are undertaking work attachments in Port Moresby and other hospitals in PNG and these students are all safe at their respective work places.
“Students at the UNITECH are also safe on campus.
“The purpose of police presence on the campus is to control movement of students to and from the institution in light of the UPNG Waigani Campus incident.
“At the University of Goroka our students are also safe on campus,” Anga said.
He said any decision on whether to send student home can only be made when he receives advisories from the three universities.
“It is also imperative for the students to indicate their willingness to return to classes to avoid any misunderstanding by the management of these institutions when re-enrolling them in the future.”
Anga also urged the Ministry of Finance to make available funds to support the students currently accommodated in a hotel in Moresby.
LESLEY SANGA
