Civil Society & Human Rights Group call for
‘END TO ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE’
Port Moresby: The voice of civil society and Human Rights defenders in PNG have called for an end to all forms of violence.
This was stressed in a Media Statement from the organisations on Wednesday 24th June.They made this call in the light of the brutal murder of Miss Jenelyne Kennedy.
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A spokeswoman for the group representing Magna Carta Inc, Ms Shirley Kaupa said “violence is one of those epidemics that doesn’t respect limits or borders. Unfortunately, it has been seen as a social pandemic in PNG society. There is no justification against violence, intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, and sorcery related violence. The Churches Fraternity, and Civil Society Organisations have tried their best to eliminate all forms of violence, and yet it still continues unabated!
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Magna Carta Inc stands for - right to life - as a fundamental right, and no one has any right to take away a life. PNG like other member countries of the United Nations has ratified many UN Human Rights Conventions. In view of this, PNG has a legal obligation to fulfil this mandate in reducing violence and reporting to the
Jenelyne Kennedy”.
Concerned Civil Society Representatives from left; Ms Wangihama, Ms Mondu, and Ms Kaupa.
international body. Magna Carta condemns at the highest possible terms the brutal murder of the late;
Ms Kaupa said ending violence is everyone’s business. She also called upon the relevant state agencies such as the relevant state agencies or stakeholders, and the Civil Society groups to re-examine and re strategize their approach and programs to end all forms of violence and respect for human rights.
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Ms Eva Wangihama of the Laity Commission Secretary said that one form of violence that is increasingly creeping into PNG is the trafficking of women and girls. Ms Wangihama said men shouldn’t use their masculinity to exert power over the weaker gender. She called on the government and its agents to – re-educate men in proper moral and ethical behaviour. She also added that as for killings; it is a mortal sin, and being a Christian country, it is clearly against the Sixth Commandment that states – “thou shall not kill”.
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Ms Marie Mondu, Development Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference said that; “justice is not enough; we want all violence to end”. She called on the government to prioritise its commitment to end all forms of violence”. Ms Mondu said “It is alarming to see that young women and girls are brutally being murdered by intimate partners almost every month in PNG, and only a few citizens are taking this matter seriously to ensure that such violent behaviour is addressed at all levels”.
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The group called on the 8 million citizens of PNG not be mere spectators and observers of violent behaviour happening in their homes, workplaces, streets, and communities and take a stand against all forms of violence. “People should speak up and intervene when they see violence in front of their eyes’ they said.
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They added that there were many factors influencing violent behaviour, but that is not an excuse to act it out simply, and that the underlying legal and moral reality is that every citizen is entitled to the laws governing Human Rights.