PNG Justice Minister – death penalty law will be enforced

Papua New Guinea’s justice minister has told parliament he will enforce the nation’s death penalty laws.

Kerenga Kua told the chamber last Thursday a government task force had visited Texas in the United States, Indonesia and Thailand to gauge the mechanics of how to implement it, the Post Courier reported.

“A full report has been compiled from these visits and I would like to ensure the people of Papua New Guinea that we will be passing legislation for the extreme penalty’s usage soon,” he said in response to a question.

Kua said the legislation was only directed at a small group of people and that the “mainstream of society did not need to be too concerned about the implications of the death penalty”.

“If implemented properly, it should add to creating a more orderly and peaceful society that our people will enjoy,” he said.

The last person put to death in PNG was a man called Aro in 1957, 18 years before PNG gained independence from Australia.

The last known execution in the pacific region was in Tonga in 1982, according to Amnesty International.

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News category: Asia Pacific.

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