By Mortimer Yangharry
Two groups of students at the St.Pauls Lutheran Secondary School in the Wapenamanda district of Enga Province fought due to tribal related issues brought into school from their villages.
Wapenamanda Police Station Commander Senior Sergeant David Leo confirmed with EMTV NEWS that a faction of students from the Palinau clan and a faction from the Yopo clan both from the Sikin Tribe in the Tsak Local Level Government of Wapenamanda district were involved in this fight.
“The conflicting students particularly Palinau and Yopo clans attacked each other using bush knives at Pausa Secondary School yesterday in relation to the tribal fight at Tsak Valley,” Leo said.
PSC Leo reported that the students from allied clansmen and parties engaged in the tribal warfare brought village mentality into the school and chopped one another during class sessions inside the school.
“Two students, one each from both factions sustained multiple knife wounds were now stabilised at the hospital,” PSC Leo said.
According to the acting principal of St.Pauls Lutheran Secondary School Mr. Unani, this is the third incident ignited by the same groups of students from these warring clans and they will be dealt accordingly by the full force of the law.
Acting Principal Unani condemned this school fighting and confirmed the termination of the students involved in this frightening confrontation were immediately removed from the school premises yesterday afternoon under heavy escort provided the joint security forces on the ground.
“The school board will set up an investigation committee with police to establish the cause and deal with the instigators accordingly,” the Acting Principal said.
PSC Leo mentioned that due to the recent landslide completely blocking off the Highlands Highway, Wapenamanda police and PNGDF personnel who were on site near the school rushed up on foot and intervened bringing the situation under control.
“The fast response from the security personnel on the ground restored normalcy back to school,” PSC Leo said.
Meanwhile, the Highlands Highway is still blocked off since the land slip occurred on Sunday May 14, 2023 waiting for the technical expert team from the National Department of Works to arrive that will require explosives to be used to clear the area due to huge boulders and rocks piling and scattered all over the affected area making it very difficult for excavators to clear the highway.
