Police in illegal raids: Amnesty

Papua New Guinea police illegally evicted families at gunpoint and burned down their homes next to a large gold mine in the remote highlands, says Amnesty International.

The motive was not clear, although the Government ordered extra police into the region last year after reporting a surge in violent crime and tribal fighting.

An Amnesty report released yesterday said that between April and July last year police raided areas next to the Porgera Gold Mine and forcibly evicted families, burning down at least 130 buildings.