Papua New Guinea declares state of emergency as police strike prompts riots

Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Deadly violence engulfed the Papua New Guinea capital of Port Moresby on Wednesday, sparked initially by pay protests by police and defense members.

As many as 15 people have been killed in rioting that took place after police went on strike prompting Prime Minister James Marape to declare a 14-day state of emergency, placing more than 1,000 troops on standby.

"Breaking the law doesn't achieve certain outcomes," he said.

Things spiraled out of control during a police and public servants protest outside of Parliament over a 50% cut in their latest paychecks. Marape's promise to make up for the difference next month, blaming the hiccup on an administrative error, was met with additional demonstrations.

Maholopa Laveil, an economics professor at Papua New Guinea, told BBC News some from the poorer suburbs took advantage of striking police leaving their beats to loot businesses throughout Port Moresby.

"These are suburbs with really poor people who don't have jobs and who contribute to a lot of crime and lawlessness in the city," Laveil said. "Many have suffered a lot from not being employed-- inflation and pressures -- and they came out numbers trying to get what they could from the shops nearest to them."

In the meantime, six members of parliament including David Arore, James Donald, Maso Hewabi, Keith Iduhu, James Nomane and Paka Temu resigned from their posts, blaming the widespread civil unrest on Marape.

"Yesterday was a clear demonstration that there is no command and control in our bureaucracy, as in a manner of hours our capital city was reduced to a failed state, " Iduhu said in a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday.

"I made this decision to resign with a clear conscience and in the best interest of upholding the values I promised the people of Hiri-Koiari I would uphold."

The Chinese embassy reported on social media that several businesses owned by Chinese nationals were ransacked with some workers injured.

Authorities said the country's military has been trying to help regain control along with police coming back on duty. Law enforcement is also being flown in from other parts of the country for assistance, officials said.