Papua New Guinea police are considering stationing a mobile squad permanently in Kainantu in Eastern Highlands province after a riot at a squatter settlement last Friday resulted in 15 deaths.
Police say they think the attack was in retaliation for the wounding of four people in a gun attack earlier that day.
Shops in Kainantu remained closed but the PNG chief of police operations, deputy commissioner Fred Yakasa, has encouraged them to re-open, saying they need to help police restore law and order.
A police spokesman, David Terry, says the situation in Kainantu is calm but tense.
"At the moment the situation is under control. There's random police roadblocks along the Highway and we have policemen there, and Mr Yakasa has promised that police will remain there indefinitely and also he's looking at the possibility of basing a permanent mobile squad based in Kainantu to deal with the law and order problems over there."
