Rapa, Maki demand full investigation into Paglum school fight
Five students were injured during a confrontation involving students of Paglum Adventist Secondary School in Mul-Baiyer District, prompting Western Highlands Governor Wai Rapa and Mul-Baiyer MP Jacob Kop Maki to call for a thorough and speedy investigation.
Police confirmed there were no fatalities. Two students were treated and discharged from hospital, while three remain admitted at Mt Hagen Provincial Specialist Hospital with serious injuries.
The two leaders responded promptly on Tuesday after police evacuated students from the school to Queens Park in Mt Hagen, saying those responsible must be identified and students must return to classes as soon as possible.
Addressing students, staff, parents and guardians, MP Jacob Kop Maki said he immediately flew from Port Moresby to Mt Hagen after learning of the incident to personally assess the situation and reassure students and nearby communities.
" I had to leave my work and come to Hagen to see for myself the situation at Paglum. It saddens me that one of my best school is involved in such fight which is not good but as your MP I have to come and calm the situation with my presence," Maki said.
Mr Maki said while the exact cause of the confrontation remains unclear, violence has no place in a school environment and fighting only leads to negative consequences.
He said Paglum Adventist Secondary School has brought pride to Mul-Baiyer District, Western Highlands Province and Papua New Guinea through its academic achievements over many years, and such incidents damage the reputation of one of the country's top-performing schools.
" Everytime when I use to see Paglum's performance at the National level I always feel proud of the school and how it has make it mark on the school top performing list in the country. But hearing amd seeing you fight only disappoints me as your MP, " Maki stressed.
Maki called for a full investigation to be completed quickly so students can safely return to their studies. He also sympathised with the five students injured during the incident and those traumatised by the events.
Mr Maki presented K30,000 to the school principal to assist affected students with transport home and an additional K5,000 towards hospital costs for the five injured students.
Governor Wai Rapa also expressed disappointment over the incident, saying students are sent to school to learn and build their future, not engage in violence.
Governor Rapa said he too took an emergency flight from Port Moresby to Mt Hagen to reassure students and demonstrate that leaders take such incidents seriously.
He joined calls for a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the confrontation.
" Only then when a full and thorough investigation is being conducted we will know the cause how the fight started. However at the moment police must speed up the investigation and establish the cause of the fight," Rapa said.
Governor Rapa contributed K20,000 to assist students with bus fares home.
He said Paglum and other secondary schools in Western Highlands continue to perform strongly at the national level, and students should focus on education rather than activities that can destroy lives and opportunities.
" I as a parent are sending you guys to school to learn new things and not to get involved in such activities as fighting."
The Governor also sympathised with injured and traumatised students and urged the public to reject rumours circulating on social media linking the incident to particular ethnic groups.
He stressed that Western Highlands Province does not promote regionalism or ethnicity and called for calm while investigations continue.
" Western Highlands is the place for everyone and not Western Highlanders only. We have 3rd-4th generations of people from all over the Highlands region and other parts of PNG living and calling Western Highlands. That's why we don't promote regionalism or ethnicity of any type," Rapa emphasized.
Provincial Administrator Joseph Mangbil also contributed K3,000 towards students' transport costs, bringing the total support to K58,000.
Western Highlands Provincial Police Commander Chief Superintendent John Sagom said police have already commenced a thorough investigation, expected to take seven days.
He encouraged students, staff and members of the public with information to come forward and assist investigators.
The cause of the fight has yet to be established, although accounts from some students indicate the confrontation involved students and locals surrounding Paglum Adventist Secondary School.