Transcript
KATE SCHUETZE: I think this needs to be understood in the long history of that prison which there’s been various report in the past about overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, long periods of time that people have been held in remand - in some cases for up to nine years. So there have been internal PNG government reports as well as human rights enquiries. Human rights watch has also reported on the prison around 12 years ago and last year we had 12 people who were shot dead after escaping from that same prison. Now we've seen another tragic incident of a much larger scale. So I think what this highlights if there's so broader systemic issues around conditions in that prison which haven't been addressed and then of course it's been met with lethal force by the prisons officials when people have attempted to escape those harsh conditions.
KOROI HAWKINS: These are unarmed people trying to escape, as you say, and they're being shot by prison officials, has that been confirmed? That is prison officials and not police?
KS: Yes, it is officials that have shot them and the response from PNG officials to date has been to blame the detainees themselves, whilst at the same time they've also acknowledged that many of those being held in the prison haven't yet been convicted of any crime. But they are actually stating to the public that these people are dangerous. Of course if they're escaping prison there's nothing to suggest they're armed. But firearms have been used to shoot and kill and harm those people which is a tragic incident.
KH: And what action has amnesty called for before in relation to this and what action are you calling for now?
KS: Well of course this incident does have to be independently investigated and the officers involved must be held accountable for those killings. But I think now this highlights a broader systemic issue in relation to accountability for all of the security forces in PNG. We are hearing of these deaths all too frequently. The excessive use of force by, not only, prison officials but the military and the police officers. So I think it's an important time in PNG as they come up to elections in the next couple of months to consider what the PNG government coming in can do to address that accountability side of things.
KH: And there have been instances where top officials in these security forces have even said that they approve of their officers to shoot to kill and they've been reprimanded for saying that, but there's obviously a culture amongst some in the force that the value of life isn't that high at all.
KS: I think what we're seeing here is they're calling the prisoners the undesirables, but in essence it’s the police and security forces who are the untouchables here. They're very rarely held to account when they do commit serious human rights violations - it’s incredibly difficult, not only to get internal disciplinary proceedings against officers and get them dismissed, but even harder to take them to court for criminal actions they might be responsible for and that's part of the challenge for the law and justice sector in PNG, unfortunately.
KH: And just how overcrowded are these prisons that people are willing to risk their lives to escape them?
KS: The prison we are talking about here was built to house 400 people and it currently houses more than double that and just over half of those who are detained in that facility as of January this year were people who have been charged with offences who are not yet convicted by the court.
KH: So prisoners on remand, people that haven't yet been proven guilty and a number of them have been involved in this mass escape?
KS: Yes, that's correct and we've seen the same happen in previous occasions where even the police have acknowledged that many of those people who have escaped are prisoners who have been held on remand rather than those who have actually been convicted of serious offences.
KH: As of Tuesday three of the 77 escapees from Buimo prison had been captured and police had launched an operation to recapture the 57 who remain at large.