Senior PNG government official defends death penalty

Transcript

A senior government official in Papua New Guinea is defending the re-introduction of the death penalty as the only way to eradicate sorcery-related brutality.

Arguments against the amendment to the Criminal Code, which came into force in September, are emerging during a conference on violence associated with accusations of sorcery underway in the Eastern Highlands capital, Goroka.

The secretary to the department of justice and attorney general, Lawrence Kalinoe, says the government acknowledges there is research showing the death penalty has not worked as a deterrent in other parts of the world.

LAWRENCE KALINOE: It's a matter of comparing like with like [type] situation. We don't know what kind of research is out there. No-one has actually given us a like comparison between a country that is similar to ours so that we can then look at that information and say 'Oh, that is where we are'. But nevertheless we are convinced as a government that we in this country will respond better to violence. If we actually bring in the death penalty and we start to execute some of these people we are convinced that would be a very strong and effective deterrent. Initially, people would stand up and say 'Look what's happening. If you do this then you are going to die, as well'. So that's the background we're coming from. And ultimately it's really about trying to make a difference. If it doesn't work then these laws are not cast in stone. We will definitely look at them again.

ANNELL HUSBAND: Does the government consider that the international perception of Papua New Guinea as a place of danger, violence, black magic... It was mentioned there that there is a major reputational risk to Papua New Guinea. How seriously does the government view that?

LK: In fact, we are extremely concerned about that. It's a terrible thing that we ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. We must do something about that. We cannot simply say 'Alright, there's a surge in rape. There's a surge in murder and social related killings' and simply leave it to the current law enforcement systems to continue. We must find an intervention.

AH: Yes, and you mentioned the need to meet violence with violence.

LK: Oh, absolutely. We are still a tribal nation in transition. Violence has been our mainstay of survival. And that perception and that thinking is still there to the extent that if you don't react to a violent situation in a similar fashion, that is seen as, in fact, an invitation - a weakness, an invitation.