Tribesmen sue writer for $18m

Two New Guinea tribesmen have filed a US$10 million ($17.96 million) lawsuit claiming a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer falsely accused them of murder and other crimes in a magazine article.

The lawsuit was filed by Henep Isum Mandingo and Hup Daniel Wemp against Jared Diamond and Advance Publications, the parent company of The New Yorker magazine, where the story was published.

The magazine's website describes the April 21, 2008, article as being about a New Guinea tribesman who avenged an uncle's slaying by a neighbouring clan by killing his uncle's murderer.