26 May 2009

PNG government calls for Chinese help in weeding out bad apples

9:03 pm on 26 May 2009

Papua New Guinea's foreign affairs and immigration minister has called on the Chinese government to help eradicate so-called bad apples breaking PNG's laws.

Sam Abal told AAP that PNG needs cooperation from the Chinese government to help it separate the general Chinese and those who do wrong.

This follows a wave of anti-Chinese violence and looting of Asian-run businesses in several main PNG centres over the past fortnight.

The PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare's government has apologised to the Chinese community for the violence and looting.

But Sir Michael admits that corruption in PNG's police force, labour and immigration departments was a factor behind the unrest.

Mr Abal says corruption, not just in Immigration, is paralysing PNG's systems while resentment over growing Chinese dominance of businesses and their growing involvement in crime has built up over the years.

The Minister says grassroots people are angry with foreigners who don't have proper work permits and don't speak English coming in and running most of the small shops which Papua New Guineans should be doing.