22 Dec 2003

PNG Red Cross wants more ships to repatriate those evicted in Madang

4:21 pm on 22 December 2003

The Red Cross in Papua New Guinea has called for more ships to be sent to Madang to help the thousands of people return home after being evicted from settlements in the area.

The chairwoman of the Red Cross in Madang, Maureen Hill, says transport has to be found for 12-thousand settlers to go back to their home provinces.

This comes after days of police action in the settlements, with police burning properties until the governor ordered them on Saturday to respect an injunction and stop the burning.

Ms Hill says while eviction orders were given a year ago, no arrangements were made for the settlers to return home.

"Most of them want to go back to their homes, but there has been no transport and that's where the falldown has been in the arrangement to make sure that there were plenty of transport available for these people to be shifted."