Transcript
DANIEL YANGEN: And they are waiting for their feedback, if they can direct to the stakeholders that safety will be restored, in order for services to resume; law and order will be restored and in place, then they will operate. Otherwise, they said, they will withdraw their services from Tari.
JOHNNY BLADES: Can I just ask you about Sunday. Was this an inter-tribal conflict?
DY: Yeah this erupted due to ongoing tribal fight that has been ongoing in Tari town. Vehicles mounting high powered weapons from the bonnet roof, opening all the doors, they fired shots elsewhere. They drove through... broke through the fence at the airport, through the hospital, town, police station, bank, elsewhere.
JB: Any people injured or killed?
DY: I heard yesterday that one was shot. From the vehicle they fired shots and the one who was shot, (from) the other party who came to burn down the supermarket, one was shot. Bullet wounds both sides. And as a result, a policeman's son was shot dead, and he is in the morgue.
JB: Tribal fighting seems to be getting worse again around Tari and elsewhere in Hela province. Do you think it's getting as bad as 2002?
DY: It's getting bad. They're using high-powered weapons. Build-up of guns everywhere. I can't deny that. And elsewhere in Hela, there is high-powered weapons. It's tense. This is a very bad indication for year 2017 elections. That's why the national government should quickly come in, because we are the host province of the LNG Project.
JB: What about the police, are you not resourced enough, do you now have enough manpower and weapons to cope with these tribal fights?
DY: Exactly. To be honest and frank with you, we are down on manpower. Hela police, we are down with manpower and logistical support. At the moment I am assisted by LNG Police, and I am making a request through my boss for additional manpower to be in Tari town in order for services to be reopened and restored.
