EDITORIAL SUPPORTS FAKE MARKET REPORT

In the last week, there have been three reports in The National newspaper on violence of gangs of youths in Gordons market. One reported that two women were raped on separate occasions. 

The other was that a soldier was stabbed. Another described how a gang of youths stormed the police station to demand release of another youth. Walls and security lights were damaged.

All were figments of the imagination of journalist Starza Paul who deliberately told lies to the community perhaps in support of the UN Women due to run a Violence against Women in Markets campaign in a few weeks.

All were fake reports. The rape report explained how a gang of youths in the market spotted a woman.

They broke into two groups and followed her around the market. One group blocked her at the gate and took her to a vacant allotment and raped her.

How did the journalist learn of these events that preceded the alleged attack?

This was not true. There was no gang of youths. Witnesses among the nearby sellers state that there was a fight between a handicapped man and a woman. The women made no complaint to the police nor did any friends who were with her.

Starza Paul seems committed to report that gangs of youths are attacking the markets. The reports indicate a lone man involved in a fight with a woman.

Then there was a report of a soldier being attacked by a gang of youths. He was stabbed while doing his shopping.

Nearby sellers advised the founder of AIDS Holistics that the soldier came to the aid of a woman at the bus stop when her mobile phone was stolen by a lone pick-pocket who stabbed the soldier.

The youth was taken to the police station. But we are advised in the newspaper that the police station was stormed by a gang of youths demanding their friend's release. That is totally false.

There was no damage to the station as claimed by the newspaper report. Go and check.

There were large numbers of sellers who came to the police station for safety when the group of soldiers arrived in response to the stabbing of their friend. There was no attack by a gang of youths.

Now there is an editorial in The National perhaps in damage control called "Outrageous Behaviour". This may well turn out to refer to the behaviour of the journalist who made three fake reports.

Is UN Women involved in this? We are used to the lies and cheating of that organization. They have trapped themselves into keeping the story going about violence in peaceful markets of Port Moresby.

If UN Women is involved, they have shamed The National and the New Zealand High Commission that is funding the campaign.

How does the NZ High Commission come to be funding the UN? Is the violence against women not as official as we are being led to believe?

The editor of The National is given the offer to accompany the founder of AIDS Holistics around the Gordons market. Then we will get to the truth.