In solidarity, the students from the University of Papua New Guinea today held a peaceful protest in Port Moresby demanding the Prime Minister James Marape and other departmental heads to immediately sack the Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko.
The students were supported by other ordinary citizens to execute this peaceful protest and have given the prime Minister 24 hours to respond to their pleas.
The comments made by the Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko labeling Papua New Guineans as “useless and primitive animals” does not go down well with the people. This prompted outrage on social media and the University of Papua New Guinea students to stage a peaceful protest to air their views.
Speaking on behalf of the students protesting today, chairman of Momase students Maxie Imbui made a call to Prime Minister James Marape to sack Justin Tkatchenko immediately.
“We want Prime Minister James Marape to sack Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko immediately,” Imbui said.
“We are note primitive animals. His comments are racist”
“The people he called primitive made him become a business man, and politician and now he is disrespecting us,” he added.
“We don’t want him to represent us in the coming forum were US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come”
“We are calling on the Prime Minister to sack him and have him deported from this country,” Imbui said.
The Vanimo Green MP Belden Namah and the PNG Think Tank group chief executive officer; Samson Komati also supported the call on The Prime Minister to have Minister Justin Tkatchenko deported immediately as his comments are considered racist against Papua New Guineans.
“I am calling on Justin Tkatchenko to immediately resign as Foreign Affairs Minister and as Member of Parliament and further renounce his citizenship,” Namah said.
“Alternatively, I am calling on the Prime Minister to sack him immediately and withdraw his citizenship,” he added
The students gave 24 hours for the Prime Minister to respond to their pleas; otherwise they will stage another protest come Monday.
Students braved the rain as they chanted for Minister Tkatchenko to be sacked.
