7 Jun 2007

PNG school boys riot in Morobe province

9:56 am on 7 June 2007

More than 400 students have been sent home following a fight last weekend between students and the community around the Nawaeb High School in Papua New Guinea's Morobe province.

Police moved into the school on Monday after fighting flared between the students and the community and were forced to camp on the school grounds to control the situation.

Community leaders say the conflict started last Sunday when students fought with a young man from the nearby village who was under the influence of alcohol.

They say on Monday, community leaders got together and tried to resolve the problem but the students attacked the leaders, resulting in at least one villager receiving wounds to his head, back and shoulder.

The students raided the homes of the villagers, destroyed the gardens and set fire to a house.

At a peace meeting on Tuesday, the community presented a petition seeking 29 thousand dollars compensation for damages suffered during the attack