Karkar Community College principal says the school was not aware of the evacuation of the AROB students out of the school two weeks ago.
Mugiar Yass explains there were no issues in the school.
The incident that had happened at the school affected not only AROB students but students from other provinces also.
Yass says the two students who led the students out of the school were not registered students and were kicked out of the school.
It has been a week since students from the Autonomous Region of Bougainville left the school due to an incident they claim was cited by the school principal and his brother.
Twenty-one AROB students were evacuated from Karkar island under police escort to Madang to be repatriated to AROB.
According to student rep, Joy Toba, they decided to leave school after their lives were under threat by locals.
Toba explained two AROB students were allegedly attacked by the warden who is the school principal’s brother.
The students claimed the two students attacked were sharing a packet of biscuits but claimed the warden had mistaken them to have been in a relationship.
One week after the incident, School principal, Mugiar Yass, came out on the media to give the school’s side of the story.
Yass claimed the incident was a disciplinary issue where a number of AROB students went to another village outside of the school to consume homebrew (a cheap, home made alcoholic substance).
The alleged students returned to the school and continue drinking in the school.
The principal’s brother, a warden at the school approached the students who were drinking and asked them to stop drinking however, the students argued with him.
Lynne Pais, speaking on behalf of the five AROB students who remained at the school says it has become a norm for the alleged group of students to go out drinking on weekends.
Chairman of the Karkar Community College, says they have put together a conflict resolution process for the students to return.
Rev. Dick Malfun says their concern is on the continued health, safety and the education of the Bougainvilleans and students from other provinces studying at the college.
Adding a 9-page document on the school board’s position was compiled and will be given to the Madang Governor.
Karkar LLG Ward 14 counselor apologized to the President of the AROB, Chief John Momis, over what had transpired.
By Martha Louis – EMTV News – Madang
